


after time spent lonely

by yibaek



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Brief Depictions of Violence, Come Marking, Family Drama, Found Family, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mentions of abuse and torture, PTSD, Pack Feels, Polyamory, Scenting, Size Kink, Supernatural Illnesses, Unsafe Sex, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:01:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 109,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22676041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yibaek/pseuds/yibaek
Summary: When Kyungsoo accompanies Chanyeol to a werewolf bar as his wingman, he doesn't expect to end up with his own boyfriend. No. Wait. Two of them? He shouldn't be surprised when things only escalate from there.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 102
Kudos: 417
Collections: Unrestricted Love Poly Fic Fest





	1. Buzz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo tries something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, to the prompter................idk what happened i'm so sorryslgkhjskldjg  
> idk how you prompted "Person A accompanies his friend to a werewolf bar as a wingman. He wasn't expecting to find himself 2 werewolf boyfriends, both alphas, that he doesn't exactly know how to deal with. He's going to try like hell to find out, though" and it turned into this sdjgklskl
> 
> second,  
> -thank you jessica for reading through the first half and being so supportive.  
> -thank you [kiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysoulrunswithwolves/pseuds/mysoulrunswithwolves) for providing the idea that kicked this monster into gear, for holding my hand throughout, and putting up with me even though i know it must have been miserable.  
> -thank you [riha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatoeba/pseuds/tatoeba) for giving invaluable feedback throughout and for getting me through/figuring out how the last couple of chapters should be laid out when all i could do was stress and cry about it.  
> -this fic would not exist the way it does without the three of you. <3
> 
> third, i hope everyone likes it ;-; please let me know what you think in the comments~
> 
> title adapted from the eng translation of exo's 'butterfly effect,' which is this fic's soundtrack :')
> 
> chapter length: 10.8k (sobs. why so long)

Kyungsoo knew he’d become the punchline of some terrible joke the second he stepped into a bar full of werewolves.

 _All species and races welcome,_ a sign next to the doorway said, but the multiple sneers directed at him said something else entirely. It was enough to make him want to hide behind his tall, unreasonably buff, Omega friend, but he was also prideful. Instead, he walked next to Chanyeol, chin high and ignorance higher.

“Stop that,” Chanyeol said under his breath when they finally took a seat at the bar, taking care not to disturb the string of fairy lights lining it. The whole place was lit with those alone. It was charming. 

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he imagined the way the nearest wolf scooted into a seat less near. There were definitely three empty seats on either side of them now. He frowned, flagging the bartender. “Stop what?”

“Acting all defiant and smelling weird.”

“What do you mean weird?”

Chanyeol huffed. “Like you don’t know whether to hide or stomp on someone’s feet to get them to stop staring.”

Now Kyungsoo was the one sneering, almost growling, even. God, he spent way too much time with Chanyeol. But when Chanyeol was both one’s only friend _and_ roommate, well. What was Kyungsoo to do?

The bartender chuckled as she stepped in front of them, dark ponytail swaying much like Kyungsoo imagined her tail would had she been presenting it like Omegas and Betas did. She cleaned a glass with the towel in her hand while Kyungsoo noted the billion piercings in her ears, and the way the ones in her eyebrow and nose wiggled when she laughed.

“You almost blend in here, human,” she said.

“Is that a compliment?”

Chanyeol pinched Kyungsoo’s thigh, but Kyungsoo only slapped his hand away. The woman widened her grin; Kyungsoo’s bored tone didn’t seem to deter her.

“Depends,” she said. “You smell like a dog, act like a dog. Is it so bad to be one? To be around them?”

Slowly, Kyungsoo shrugged. Of course it wasn’t, but he wasn’t sure what she was getting at. It felt more like a trap than not.

“Then why do you smell of fear?”

Chanyeol immediately turned a deep frown and sniffing nose on him, but Kyungsoo was too busy narrowing his eyes at the woman. “I’m not scared.”

“I didn’t say you were.” Like Chanyeol, she sniffed the air between them, a curious, but amused twist to her mouth as she glanced across the room. Then she hummed, staring Kyungsoo down while she pulled a bottle of Four Roses Bourbon toward herself. “Fear is deeper than merely being scared,” she added, and really, _what the fuck._

For a moment, she disappeared beneath the counter. When she emerged, she had a chilled glass, a tub of strawberries, and a bottle of lemonade. Kyungsoo glanced at Chanyeol, but he only shrugged.

Shaking his head, Kyungsoo turned back to find the bartender crushing strawberries into a liquid concoction. “Are you going to ask us for our drink order?” he asked.

“No.” Her smile gleamed. “You’ll like this.”

“Wh—”

“Anyway. Why would you come to a wolf bar if you’re so wary to be the only human in the room?”

Chanyeol shrunk in his seat, sheepish, and Kyungsoo sighed. He knew wolves could smell and sort of get a sense of someone’s emotions, but really, something was off about this one. Chanyeol was never this on point, let alone able to pin down Kyungsoo’s thoughts and anything below the immediate surface, not past the familiarity that came with being life-long friends with someone, at least.

“Chanyeol wanted a wingman,” Kyungsoo found himself saying anyway. “His Beta coworker bailed, so it was a last minute thing. I’m not looking for a partner, and I’m not scared of wolves.”

“Mm, no. Just the unknown, I think.”

Kyungsoo stared blankly at the bartender. “Do they pay you extra for palm readings?”

Chanyeol was back to pinching Kyungsoo’s thigh, but Kyungsoo only slapped his hand away harder. Chanyeol’s gray wolf ears flattened atop his head. Sighing again, Kyungsoo listened to the bartender’s cute laugh while he stroked Chanyeol’s ears in apology.

“This is my bar, human,” she said. “But you did hit the nail on the head, I suppose. I’m a little more advanced than mere palm readings, however.”

“...Are you saying you’re psychic?”

She garnished his pink drink with a couple of lemons and pushed it toward him. “Would that be a reality easy enough for you to accept, Kyungsoo?”

“I mean, I’ve heard there are psychics. It’s not hard to believe.” He didn’t have to tell her that he _didn’t_ believe, but the smirk on her face told him she knew anyway.

It wasn’t until she whipped up a quick Malibu Sprite for Chanyeol—giving him a pat on the head that made his tail wag—that Kyungsoo realized she said his name.

He had never introduced himself.

Huh.

When he took a tentative sip of the drink he didn’t order, he couldn’t stop the pleased noise that escaped his throat. At the end of the day, this drink was a glorified spicy strawberry lemonade, but god _damn_ if it wasn’t good.

His reaction seemed to appease the bartender, as she said, “Name’s Seulgi. Drink that and I’ll give you another one for free. And Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo felt his eye twitch. “Yes?”

“Try something else new tonight. You might find the unexpected.”

“Wh—”

She sauntered away to help someone else at the end of the bar.

“What the fuck.”

Chanyeol leaned toward him. “She’s an Alpha! You can’t talk to her like that!”

Kyungsoo frowned. “I’m a human.”

“But you’re in _her_ establishment!”

“Yeol, she obviously didn’t mind.”

Chanyeol huffed before sipping from his drink. “No, I guess she didn’t. But still! We’re not in neutral territory, Soo. You have to tread carefully!”

Neutral territory was just Chanyeol’s fancy way of saying _their apartment,_ but Kyungsoo still got the message. They had a routine, a comfortable way of living. They didn’t have to worry about weird societal rules or the lingering taboo of humans and werewolves being friends.

But Kyungsoo had never been to an establishment like this one, had never purposely surrounded himself with wolves. Chanyeol was the exception to the unspoken rule, because Kyungsoo had known Chanyeol since they were kids hiding together from bullies. Plus, Chanyeol wasn’t much more than a giant teddy bear. That became unreasonably horny every few months. And sometimes grew canine teeth when he was angry.

Point being, Kyungsoo trusted Chanyeol, which was the only reason he had agreed to accompany him to a bar that he wasn’t wholly welcome in. Chanyeol was tired of getting help during his heat from a human, otherwise known as Kyungsoo. He wanted an Alpha. He wanted to settle down, and Kyungsoo wanted that for him as well. He wanted him to be happy.

Kyungsoo had no idea how to be a wingman, but he would certainly try for his best friend.

“What do you think she meant by telling me to try something else new tonight?” he asked, sipping greedily from his straw. “Another drink…?” Definitely not, but Kyungsoo could hope.

Chanyeol shrugged. He seemed to be enjoying his own unasked for drink just as much. He turned in his seat to face Kyungsoo, and the rest of the bar. Kyungsoo casted a less invested glance around the room as well. There were still too many wolves staring at them for him to feel comfortable.

“Maybe she just meant being your wingman? I’ve never done that before.”

“What?” Chanyeol frowned. “You’re always my wingman.” At Kyungsoo’s questioning look, Chanyeol continued, “Or...I guess I’ve never really needed one? I’ve never gone out looking for someone. But you’re always my first choice. I only didn’t ask you first about tonight because...I don’t know. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. We never go anywhere like this.”

Kyungsoo parsed through the words as he chewed on his straw. They never came to places like this because they always went to human establishments. Chanyeol had never been terribly interested in his wolf side, but Kyungsoo suddenly felt like an awful best friend anyway. Like he’d been doing Chanyeol a disservice this entire time.

“I’m not uncomfortable,” he said. It was a lie, and it was pretty impossible to lie to a werewolf, but he hoped the noise of the bar covered his blip in heartbeat. “Also, this drink is amazing. Try it.”

Chanyeol hated Whiskey, and his crinkled nose was a stark reminder, but he leaned in for a sip anyway. His skin smoothed out in gentle surprise as he pulled away. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“Right?” Kyungsoo laughed, and Chanyeol beamed at him. Awkward crisis averted.

It was less than five minutes before Kyungsoo was asking Seulgi to make another strawberry drink for him. He ignored her smirk and pointed at a tall wolf bent over, playing pool. “What about him, Yeollie?”

Chanyeol hummed. “I can’t even see his face, Soo. Nice bum, though.”

A bum without a tail, too, which meant the guy was more likely an Alpha than a Beta, as Alphas had less trouble passing as human on a day-to-day basis. It was also a pride thing, if Kyungsoo was remembering correctly.

Kyungsoo shook his head, joining in with Seulgi’s laughter behind him. “Not a chance, pup,” she said. They both turned to look at her, and she smiled as she drizzled alcohol over crushed strawberries and ice. She glanced up at them. “He’s got a girl. She’s at home with their pups.”

“Damn,” Kyungsoo and Chanyeol both said, the latter’s ears drooping in tandem.

 _“Seulgiiiii!”_ A body collided with the bar on Chanyeol’s free side, the owner of said body leaning over it with an easy grin on his mouth. His eyes were almost completely shut. Drunk, then. “Seulgi, can you make me a drink like Baek’s, but a double?”

“Certainly, darling,” Seulgi drawled, but she smiled at the drunk. “Just let me finish up these drinks for these other guests of mine first, yes?”

“Of course!” The guy beamed, then turned to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. “Hi!”

Kyungsoo waved once, but Chanyeol fumbled with the napkin in his hands and stuttered out an awkward greeting.

“Hey, it’s okay!” the guy said, almost settling a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder before clearly thinking better of it. Definitely an Alpha, then. A level-headed one, at that, for how drunk he was. “You don’t have to be nervous! I’m not gonna step on ya for looking at me wrong or anything.”

One point in the Potential-Alpha-For-Chanyeol category, for sure. Chanyeol needed someone nice, someone that wouldn’t treat him like dirt for being “lesser.”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “Chanyeol doesn’t spend a lot of time around other wolves. This is our first time coming somewhere like this.”

“Oh no!” the drunk exclaimed, eyes rounded and lips tugging downward. Which was a feat in itself considering the charming way his lips curled upward in the very corner. This time, the man didn’t stop himself from touching Chanyeol, cupping his face in small hands. “You must be so overwhelmed, sweetheart.”

Chanyeol’s entire body drooped under the Alpha’s touch, and Kyungsoo frowned. Was Chanyeol overwhelmed? The cold of a new drink glass brushed against his hand, and Seulgi gently gripped his wrist. She shook her head, a reassurance maybe.

He watched as Chanyeol minutely bowed his head, and the Alpha touched their foreheads. It was a brief moment, but it felt private, like Kyungsoo was invading something intimate.

When the wolves parted, the Alpha said, “Don’t be afraid to step outside and breathe in some fresh air if you need to, yeah? There’s a lotta Alphas here tonight. Lots of pheromones in the air.” Chanyeol only nodded. “I’m Jongdae, and if you or…”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol supplied. Kyungsoo almost jumped at the mention of his own name. Jongdae nodded, shining eyes cast on Kyungsoo now. Kyungsoo waited for him to look away, but he didn’t.

“If you or Kyungsoo need anything, my table’s in that corner by the jukebox, ‘kay?” He finally looked back at Chanyeol, rubbing his thumbs along Chanyeol’s cheeks, making his tail start to slowly wag side to side. Kyungsoo sipped his drink and tried to sneak a glance at the table in question. He was met with three other curious gazes, all donning ears and tails, unlike Jongdae, heads tilted as they watched the exchange at the bar. Kyungsoo dared to think it was cute.

Chanyeol nodded with the enthusiasm of a small child, tail wagging faster. “Thanks, Alpha!”

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo muttered too, absentminded. His eyes flicked back to find Jongdae watching him again. He covered up his flinch by grabbing his drink and taking the straw between his lips, not backing down from Jongdae’s weird, piercing eye contact.

He was an attractive wolf, Kyungsoo would give him that. With an angular jaw and those goddamn curly lips, black hair all but falling into his eyes. His cheeks were prettily flushed with inebriation, too. Kyungsoo thought it was quite a good look on him, and Jongdae’s gaze sharpened.

“Thanks, Alpha,” Chanyeol said again. It startled Kyungsoo out of his daze as Chanyeol cupped the glass Seulgi slid into his hands.

She patted his head. “Just call me Seulgi, pup.” She tweaked one of his wolf ears. “You don’t have to answer to anyone.”

The statement was empowering and simple enough, but the way she stared pointedly into Chanyeol’s eyes gave Kyungsoo the distinct impression she meant something more by it.

“Yeah!” Jongdae cheered, breaking up the moment with a fist in the air. “Omega rights!”

One strike for cheesiness, perhaps. Seulgi thought so too, clearly, though the roll of her eyes was fond. “You’re such a dumb drunk.”

“Hey, is that any way to talk to your best customer?”

“Minseok is my best customer.”

The sound of playful outrage that escaped the Alpha was so ridiculous, even Kyungsoo laughed into his addicting drink. He pretended not to feel Jongdae’s warm gaze on him again.

Seulgi ended up hauling Jongdae a few feet away to make him his requested drink, and Chanyeol went back to scanning the room for any interesting Alphas.

“You don’t want to try Jongdae?” Kyungsoo murmured when Jongdae was long gone, back to his corner with the three pups. One snuggled under Jongdae’s arm with a warm smile, tail wagging graciously. Alright, maybe Jongdae was taken.

Chanyeol was shaking his head anyway. “No. I mean. He was so nice. But I kind of want...hm…” He scrunched up his nose. “I’m gonna sound shallow.”

Kyungsoo snorted. “I think our friendship is past caring about that.”

“Well...I kinda want a...um...big…”

“Dick? Knot?”

 _“No!”_ Chanyeol shoved at Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “I mean, ugh yeah, but I meant. I don’t know. I want a big Alpha. I…”

“Oh.” It wasn’t so outlandish. Chanyeol was prone to trying to make himself as small as possible, despite being tall and well-muscled. The idea of an Alpha even bigger than him was almost intimidating.

Kyungsoo tilted his chin toward the opposite corner as Jongdae, just past the pool tables. “What about him?” Tall, dark, and handsome, certainly. Chanyeol’s height, at least. Maybe taller. He already had eyes on them, which made Chanyeol flail when he realized.

“Can you stop being so obvious?” he whined.

“There’s no such thing as subtlety around wolves, Yeol. You know that better than I do.”

Chanyeol turned narrowed eyes on him that didn’t match the pout on his lips. “Yeah, I do. Which is the other reason I’m not trying anything with Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo tilted his head, amusement pulling at his lips. “What does that mean?”

“You know what it means.”

“...Except I don’t?”

“Soo, when’s the last time you were with—”

A shadow loomed over them, making Chanyeol freeze. But it was Seulgi’s look of calm caution that made Kyungsoo turn around. It was the Alpha from across the room, and he was definitely big. The way he towered over them had even Kyungsoo shrinking a bit in his seat, and he couldn’t feel whatever macho Alpha pheromones the guy was putting out to make Chanyeol immediately bow his head, ears flattening.

Kyungsoo didn’t like that one bit.

The Alpha seemed to sense that, smile slimy at best, only turning faux-genuine when Chanyeol cautiously peeked up at him.

“Hi there,” the Alpha said, cupping Chanyeol’s cheek in a large hand. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes. It somehow only felt okay when Jongdae did it. “What a sweet little Omega you are.” Chanyeol visibly preened. Damnit. “Can I buy you a drink, sweetness?”

“Oh, um, yes. Thank you, Alpha!”

The chill crawling down Kyungsoo’s back didn’t make him feel better about what he was witnessing. He pinched Chanyeol’s thigh, but this time it was Chanyeol slapping Kyungsoo’s hand away. 

“Another of whatever he’s having, Gi,” the Alpha said. Kyungsoo seemed to be the only one who noticed her eye roll.

“What if he’s drinking the most expensive stuff in the place?” Kyungsoo asked.

The Alpha’s grin gleamed. “Well he is certainly worth it.” He cupped Chanyeol’s chin. “Such a pretty pup.”

Chanyeol smiled, preened again, even, but it was clear that he wasn’t feeling as comfortable as he maybe wanted to. Seulgi slid a duplicate of Chanyeol’s drink over, and only met Kyungsoo’s curious stare briefly before turning her back again. He was distracted, however, by the Alpha grabbing Chanyeol’s drink and trying to...hand feed him the drink? Kyungsoo squinted. Certainly he wasn’t seeing correctly because otherwise, it would be _the_ most ridiculous thing he’d ever witnessed in his life.

“Chanyeol can take care—”

“Siwon, can you cool it?”

Kyungsoo turned to see another giant, assumed-Alpha walking up. He wasn’t only more handsome, but seemed less like a psychopath as well right off the bat.

“Stay out of this, Donghae,” _Siwon_ said. He was still trying to help Chanyeol drink, which was just uncomfortable for everyone.

“He’s an Omega, not a baby, you idiot. Step into the 21st Century and stop treating him like a helpless child.”

One point for the maybe-not-a-pyschopath. Donghae, was it?

Donghae took Chanyeol’s drink from Siwon and handed it back to Chanyeol. “Sorry, honey. He’s my friend, but I’ve never been known to befriend smart people.”

“He wasn’t bothering me! It’s okay! Thanks Alpha! Alphas!”

Kyungsoo grimaced. “I don’t mean any disrespect…” he tried. “But could you guys maybe take a step back with those pheromones of yours?” He pointedly glanced at Chanyeol, hoping they’d take the hint and show mercy to his _clearly_ overwhelmed friend.

Siwon just sort of sneered, but Donghae’s smile was at least an attempt at being placating. “Of course. I’m sorry.” He dragged Siwon a foot or two backward. “You know,” Donghae said, still looking at Kyungsoo. “You two must be close. I can hardly tell your scents apart. In fact, I thought you were also an Omega when you walked in. But you aren’t, are you?”

“No? It’s not like I’m trying to hide who I am.” He almost brought up the fact he didn’t have ears or a tail, but kept his mouth shut.

Donghae hummed. “Good for you.”

His interest in Kyungsoo was apparently done, as he turned back to Chanyeol with a wide smile. “Chanyeol, right?” Chanyeol nodded, shyness overtaking his features again. “Would you care to join me, honey? I won’t let Siwon anywhere near you, I promise.”

Chanyeol’s goddamned tail started wagging. “Join you?” he asked, hopeful as ever.

“Mm-hm. We could play pool, or just sit and talk.” A single finger caressed under Chanyeol’s chin. “Anything you want.”

Chanyeol turned to Kyungsoo. “Do you mind, Soo?”

Kyungsoo withheld his sigh. “Of course not. Have fun, Yeol. Howl if you need anything.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes, but wrinkled his nose happily at Kyungsoo before sliding off his stool. Kyungsoo chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched him go, trying not to be nervous. Chanyeol was an adult. He could handle himself.

Kyungsoo finally breathed out his sigh, and started to turn back toward the bar to drink some more, only to realize the creep, Siwon, was still standing there and watching him. Hopeful? 

“No,” Kyungsoo said with as much finality as he could, putting his back to the wolf. He heard a growl and tried not to tense, but he also heard snickers coming from the corner. He snuck a glance and found Jongdae and the pup under his arm smiling at him with something like pride, laced with amusement. Even the other two wolves with them were grinning into their drinks. Jongdae nodded toward the bar, as if he was saying to keep facing that way. Kyungsoo sipped his drink and nodded as subtly as he could manage. 

Eventually, the growling behind him stopped, and a shadow no longer loomed over him.

“You’re quite bold, Kyungsoo,” Seulgi said, giving him another drink. Oh, his glass _was_ empty.

He shrugged. “Thanks. And I don’t put up with creeps, human or supernatural hybrid alike.” He peeked over his shoulder to see Chanyeol on Donghae’s lap already, wrapped in the Alpha’s arms. He shook his head and leveled Seulgi with a stare. “Can he be trusted?”

Seulgi hummed, running a damp rag across the bar. “Can anyone?”

Kyungsoo groaned. “Is it even possible for you to give one straight answer?”

She laughed. “It always depends on the question, bold Kyungsoo. But if it’s trust you’re worried about, all I can tell you is those four that keep catching your eye in the corner are the most trustworthy in here.”

“...Okay?”

She winked.

It only took a few minutes for the awkwardness of being alone in an unfamiliar place to set in. Kyungsoo wasn’t much for places like pubs as it was. He only went with Chanyeol and Chanyeol’s occasional work friend. Kyungsoo preferred to drink at home, with the comfort of his couch and his bed nearby. It was safer, cheaper, and he didn’t have to worry about whether or not he was acting socially acceptable. 

It wasn’t long before his skin was buzzing with dangerous levels of booze and it was making him restless. He was already scrolling through his phone, but debating whether opening a book and reading right there at the bar would officially deem him the most lame being to ever exist.

Then, a laugh met his ears as he ignored the incoming call on his screen. “It seems like you’d rather be anywhere else,” a matching voice said, naturally soft, soothing. Kyungsoo turned to find one of the four wolves from the corner standing a safe distance away, on the other side of Chanyeol’s empty chair. 

“Ah, I don’t know what to do with myself,” Kyungsoo said.

The wolf combed his fingers through his dark hair with a grin, matching wolf ears twitching happily. “I’m the same way, usually. It’s easier with friends around, though.”

Kyungsoo nodded, and glanced over his shoulder reflexively. Chanyeol was still smiling, and that was all that mattered. “My only friend is snuggling up to an Alpha right now, so I don’t have many options.” Kyungsoo offered a crooked grin to keep the words from sounding too harsh.

“Wingman?”

“Wingman.”

The wolf chuckled. “I’ve always wanted to be someone’s wingman, just once.”

“Well, it’s certainly not as glamorous as it seems.” He gestured to himself with his phone. “That, or I am doing something terribly wrong.”

“Oh, the sacrifices we make for friends.”

“Indeed.”

The wolf’s pretty smile widened, deepening a set of dimples in his cheeks. “Well I’d be happy to have my next drink right here, if you’d like some company for a few minutes.”

Hm. “Just a few minutes?”

“Just a few minutes. I know how it is.”

Reluctantly, Kyungsoo nodded. “Okay.”

Delighted, the wolf gingerly sat in Chanyeol’s seat, thanking Seulgi when she slid him a drink. “I’m Yixing,” the wolf said, turning to face Kyungsoo more properly. “Beta. Though I guess that doesn’t mean much to you.”

“Not...really,” Kyungsoo said, sheepish. “But I’m Kyungsoo.”

Yixing beamed. “Nice to meet you.”

Yixing wasn’t excessively chatty, like Chanyeol usually was, but he still carried most of the conversation. While Yixing talked with him, Kyungsoo didn’t feel awkward or out of place. Yixing was just like Chanyeol, overly-friendly, calming.

He was just about to go back to his friends when Kyungsoo checked on Chanyeol again. He paused, mid-sentence of whatever he was saying to Yixing. “Does he look a little wobbly to you?”

Yixing’s brow furrowed and he slowly turned to look as well. Chanyeol was still on Donghae’s lap, but was just about falling off of it, hanging onto Donghae’s neck by a thread. Giggly, flushed. No one else around him was in the same state.

“Yixing, I’ve never seen him drunk. Alcohol doesn’t do anything for him.”

For a moment, Yixing only watched, maybe taking the scene in, maybe listening. It wasn’t until Siwon was suddenly staring back with that ugly sneer of his that Yixing turned to Kyungsoo again. He put a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “The alcohol here is laced with a special strain of Wolfsbane. It’s the only way we can actually get drunk.”

“Isn’t that _poison_ for you guys?”

“Isn’t alcohol poison for humans?”

Kyungsoo sighed. He wasn’t wrong.

“Come sit with me?” Yixing asked, quieting his voice. “I know it’s a lot to ask you to trust four wolves you’ve never met, but I’d rather have you near so we can keep an eye out together. So you can tell me the second anything else seems off about him.”

“You think they’ll try something with him?”

Yixing hesitated. “I think I don’t trust a gang of Alphas who prey on a single Omega.”

Kyungsoo’s heart sank. “Okay.”

“I’m not saying anything’s wrong,” Yixing said, squeezing Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “But we’ll watch. And I’ll listen.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He downed the rest of his drink and asked Seulgi for another. Seulgi nodded at him when she handed him his new drink. _The four in the corner are the most trustworthy here._ Her voice rang in his head, bouncing around like the echo of a bell. He nodded back.

Kyungsoo chewed on his lip as he walked with Yixing, as he noticed the way Jongdae perked up at the mere sight of him.

“Kyungsoo!” he said, excitement bubbling in his voice. “You’re joining us?”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “If that’s okay…”

"Of course it's okay!" Jongdae beamed. He didn't even let go of the wolf under his arm to pull out the chair on the other side of him. Kyungsoo eased into it, minutely waving at the cuddly wolf. His eyes, almost hidden behind silver hair, _sparkled_ in Kyungsoo’s peripheral. What was it with supernatural hybrids and their perfection, honestly?

"Thanks," Kyungsoo finally said. He was already sipping his drink to mask his awkwardness. God, this was bad. He was going to end up shit-faced at this rate. Though, honestly, maybe he was already on his way. How many of Seulgi's drinks had he even had?

He did his best not to flinch when Yixing cleared his throat. "This is Kyungsoo, guys. Kyungsoo this is Minseok." He pointed to the tawny-haired wolf next to him, though his eyes ironically resembled a cat's more than anything. Kyungsoo nodded at him. Minseok did the same, quirking an amused brow as well. "And this," Yixing said, gesturing to the wolf under Jongdae's arm, "is Baekhyun."

Kyungsoo locked eyes with Baekhyun, who had a gentle smile rounding out his soft cheeks. The weirdest wave of calm instantly washed over Kyungsoo, and he found himself tampering down the impulse to reach over and touch the wolf's face.

Geez, he was drunker than he thought.

“Nice to meet you,” Baekhyun was saying, eyelashes fluttering alongside a giggle. He nuzzled into Jongdae’s neck, never quite taking his eyes off of Kyungsoo.

“Baekhyun is a very cuddly drunk,” Jongdae said, clearly biting back a fond smile. He brushed a single finger along one of Baekhyun’s silver ears to make it twitch. “In case you couldn’t tell.”

It was easy to smile at someone so soft, so sweet. “It’s nice to meet you,” Kyungsoo said. “Thank you all for letting me sit here.”

“Oh, stop that.” Jongdae elbowed him, still grinning. “You’re more than welcome here.”

Yixing leaned across the table. “Kyungsoo is a little worried about his friend.”

Jongdae hummed, the low tone resonating deep in Kyungsoo’s ear. “Not gonna lie, so am I. They’ve slipped him a lot of drinks already.”

“How many is a lot?” Kyungsoo demanded.

Jongdae frowned, eyes cast across the room. “Too many.” Kyungsoo looked too. It was obvious Chanyeol was drunk out of his mind; he could hardly open his eyes. “You said he doesn’t spend much time around other wolves, right?”

“Yeah.”

Yixing chimed in. “It’s also apparently his first time drinking Bane.”

“Aw, fuck.” Jongdae sighed. “We’ve gotta get him out of there. The poor darling doesn’t stand a chance.”

Kyungsoo blanched. “What does _that_ mean?”

Yixing reached across the table and rested his hand atop Kyungsoo’s. “He doesn’t mean any offense by it.”

“No!” Jongdae agreed, jostling Baekhyun in his protest. “No, definitely not. It’s just. You know how I said he must be overwhelmed? Just by being here?” Kyungsoo nodded. “Now that he’s drunk, multiply that by about a hundred. He’s also surrounded by only Alphas. Multiply it by a hundred again.” Jongdae shook his head. “He’s a susceptible Omega. He came in here _wanting_ to please. Sometimes there are certain instincts that we just can’t ignore. If those Alphas figure out the right buttons to press, Chanyeol will do just about anything for them.”

“We have to go—” Kyungsoo shot upward, and the chair scraping along the floor immediately drew the majority’s attention. But he wasn’t out of his seat. He wasn’t standing like he intended. His wrist was buzzing and he blinked down at it, at the lithe fingers gently wrapped around it. He followed the arm they were connected to until his eyes met Baekhyun’s, whose evident surprise mirrored his own. 

The buzzing, Kyungsoo realized, was just like the odd wave of calm from before, only amplified, focused, sparking up his arm instead of gently enveloping him.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun said. His hand slid until it was cupping Kyungsoo’s. “We won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Baekhyun’s right,” Yixing said. “The best thing we can do right now is pretend we aren’t paying attention. We don’t want to act until something happens—“

“Soo?” Kyungsoo blinked, searching for Chanyeol’s voice across the bar. Baekhyun’s grip tightened on his hand. Chanyeol was out of the Alpha’s lap, walking forward, worried. “Soo? Are you o—“ He made it only a few steps before Siwon grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him back. Donghae’s hands slid, sensual, along Chanyeol’s hips, pulling him down to his lap again. He whispered something in Chanyeol’s ear and Chanyeol sagged, wrapping himself around the Alpha.

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo whispered.

“Looks like something’s happening now,” Minseok said. “Come on, Xing.”

Yixing nodded, and without another word, he and Minseok stood up and headed across the room. Baekhyun wouldn’t let Kyungsoo follow.

“Jongdae? Why aren’t you going?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes glued to Chanyeol’s limp body. “Aren’t you an Alpha?”

Jongdae’s hand slid around Kyungsoo’s waist, squeezing his side. “That’s why it’s best I don’t. It might cause more problems if it looks like I’m directly challenging them.” His voice was hard, like he was angry, but Kyungsoo refused to look away from Chanyeol to find out. 

“Hey, you two,” Baekhyun gently said, nudging at Kyungsoo’s hand and presumably Jongdae as well. “Look at me.”

Kyungsoo wanted to, really, he did, because Baekhyun was beautiful and someone he could spend hours looking at. But Chanyeol was in _danger_ by some creepy-ass Alphas and— 

_“Kyungsoo.”_ Baekhyun’s voice broke through the wall of anxiety building itself higher and higher, like it was pulling Kyungsoo straight from a dream, gasping. Kyungsoo had no choice but to look at him. “Hey.” Baekhyun glanced between Kyungsoo and Jongdae with a timid smile. “You’re both way too tense and angry right now. Talk to me. Pretend to be distracted. It’ll make Min and Xing’s job a lot easier.”

“What are you guys anyway?” Kyungsoo blurted. “Like a Justice League or…”

Baekhyun’s giggle felt like it bubbled right up Kyungsoo’s own chest. “Definitely not.” His smile faded. “But we have a hard time just standing by when Alphas are shitheads who should know better.”

A laugh huffed past Kyungsoo’s lips, a momentary distraction, and it was suddenly hard to ignore the intimate little huddle he had formed with these two wolves. Jongdae wrapped around them both, Baekhyun still holding Kyungsoo’s hand, closing Jongdae in.

“Good,” Baekhyun breathed. He picked up their entwined hands and nudged Kyungsoo’s cheek, making Kyungsoo’s smile widen just a bit more as he shook his head. “What do you do for a living, Kyungsoo?”

“Ah, I’m a writer. Freelance.”

“Ooh! Any specific area?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I try to stick more with music and movie-related stuff, but if I need the money…” He shrugged again.

Baekhyun perked up, but it was Jongdae that said, “Music, huh? Baekhyunnie and I both love to sing.”

“Yeah? Any good?”

Jongdae bit his lip. “Maybe we could sing for you some other time.”

“Oh—” Kyungsoo felt the shock color his face. That was flirting. Jongdae was flirting. Maybe. Baekhyun was squeezing his hand. Oh god, it’d been so long since Kyungsoo had been flirted with. What did he even do? 

“Soo,” Chanyeol’s voice mumbled from startlingly close by, making Kyungsoo jolt to turn around and see him standing on his free side.

“Yeol!” Kyungsoo slipped from Jongdae and Baekhyun’s grasps and stood to grab Chanyeol by the waist, assessing every inch of him. He was certainly droopy-eyed and flushed, but otherwise unharmed. “You okay?”

“I’m drunk, Soo.”

“Yeah, I know you are.”

“Why do humans do this for fun?”

“One of the world’s greatest mysteries, Yeollie.”

A gentle hand touched Kyungsoo’s lower back. “Sit down, yeah? I’ll go get him some water.” Kyungsoo nodded at Jongdae and led Chanyeol into the empty chair across from his, next to Yixing. 

“How did you guys—” he started to ask, but Yixing shook his head.

“Let’s wait for Jongdae to get back.” He turned to smile at Chanyeol, and pointed to his ear.

Oh. The Alphas were listening.

Kyungsoo’s left side suddenly became warmer, and he turned to see Baekhyun shyly smiling at him, scooting Jongdae’s chair just a smidge closer. Baekhyun leaned in, fingers idly trailing down Kyungsoo’s forearm. “Don’t acknowledge them,” he whispered. “They’ll find any reason to come over here.” He looked down the second Kyungsoo’s skin began buzzing everywhere they were touching. “Curious…” Resting his temple on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, Baekhyun slowly began doodling along Kyungsoo’s skin, toward his wrist. It was nicer than anything Kyungsoo had felt in a very long time.

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol said. His eyes were wide when Kyungsoo looked. “Soo, that’s a werewolf.”

Kyungsoo blinked. “...I know this.”

“Why are you holding hands with him?”

“I, um…” Yixing hid his laugh behind his hand, and Baekhyun pressed a smile into Kyungsoo’s shirt. “I’m not? It...feels nice?”

“Oh. Okay. That’s valid.” Chanyeol pouted. “You’re valid, bub.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh despite his cheeks burning at the nickname. “Thanks. So are you, pup.”

Baekhyun and Yixing laughed as well. “Oh, you guys are the cutest friends,” Yixing said.

“Ah.” Kyungsoo shook his head, staring down at Baekhyun’s fingers working across his skin. “We’ve just known each other for a really long time. He’s all I have, really.”

“Your found family?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“That’s always the best kind of family. I’d say these guys are mine. I’m the newest to the bunch though.” Yixing shrugged. “Baekhyun and Jongdae have known each other since they were born. Minseok joined the fold when they were tots. But I’ve only been around for a few years.”

“And it’s been the best few years ever!” Jongdae exclaimed as he and Minseok walked back up. Kyungsoo turned to smile at him, but it quickly fell when he noticed Jongdae’s tone didn’t match the inherently worried wrinkles in his forehead. “Yixing is the best,” he continued in his fake-excited tone. “You know he’s a doctor? Don’t know what a genius like him does hangin’ out with a bunch of dolts like us.”

Yixing scoffed. “As if you and Baek aren’t geniuses, musical and otherwise. As if Minseok isn’t a _lawyer.”_

“Alright.” Jongdae shrugged, setting another whiskey in front of Kyungsoo, and a water in front of Chanyeol. “So we’re all amazing, you’re right.”

“Damn straight.”

Everyone quietly laughed together and Jongdae slipped behind Kyungsoo. “Baek, baby, let me have my seat back, yeah?” Baekhyun whined. “I wanna talk to Kyungsoo, come on.”

With minimal fuss, Baekhyun slumped forward and stood up, making room for Jongdae to sit back down. Then, he promptly plopped down onto Jongdae’s lap.

“Baek,” Jongdae said, now the one whining. Kyungsoo knew it was a rouse though because Jongdae’s arms instantly circled Baekhyun’s waist, hugging him close. Baekhyun wiggled until he was comfortable, sideways, feet nudging Kyungsoo’s leg, arms wrapped cozily around Jongdae’s neck, head on Jongdae’s head.

It was a little comical, given they were almost the exact same size and Baekhyun was cozying up like he was the size of a toddler. But then Kyungsoo remembered the way Chanyeol had been cradled on Donghae’s lap in a similar fashion, and wondered if maybe it was just a wolf thing. For friends, lovers, and strangers alike. 

Even across the table, Chanyeol was already dipping his head toward Yixing, who was petting Chanyeol’s hair with an oddly fond smile.

Kyungsoo sipped his fresh drink just before Jongdae nabbed his attention. “Hey,” he said. Kyungsoo turned to him, shifting in his seat and propping his head in his hand, elbow on the back of the chair. Jongdae’s expression softened, making Kyungsoo’s chest warm. “Hey,” Jongdae said again, as if he was just seeing Kyungsoo after way too long. As if they were more familiar than fresh acquaintances. “Can you hear me okay if I talk quietly like this?”

“Yeah.”

“Yixing and Min got him away unscathed, obviously, but they did question the Alphas intentions. Minseok being a lawyer, like I mentioned...well, he’s a werewolf lawyer, who primarily defends Omegas. He said the magic words, and they let Chanyeol go.”

“Okay.” Kyungsoo took a moment to process the words. “That’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah.” But Jongdae didn’t seem so sure. “But...call me cautious, but I think it’s a good idea to enforce the buddy system for the rest of the night. At least if any of us go to the bathroom or outside.”

“You think they’ll try something?”

“Probably not. But Minseok said neither he nor Yixing got a good...vibe while they were getting Chanyeol. I don’t want to risk it. So just...neither of you go anywhere alone tonight alright? We’ll walk you out too.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “This feels burdensome.”

“It’s not!”

Baekhyun shook his head against Jongdae’s. “It’s not.”

Jongdae continued, “I don’t like the way they grabbed him and made him submit one bit, Kyungsoo.”

“Neither do I.”

“We’ll keep him safe. We’ll keep you both safe.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “Okay. Okay. Thank you guys.”

Despite the heavy start, they did collectively mellow out, everyone consuming a few more drinks—aside from Chanyeol, strictly on water now. It wasn’t until Kyungsoo was burying his face in Jongdae’s shoulder, laughing over a story about two patients who were...stuck together...that Yixing was telling them, that Kyungsoo realized he genuinely hadn’t had this much fun in a long time with people other than Chanyeol. Kyungsoo normally retracted into himself once he got around more than two people at once. 

Maybe it was the ridiculous amount of alcohol he’d consumed, but... _maybe_ it was the people, too. Maybe he had never found the right people other than Chanyeol. Or maybe tonight was just a fluke all around. Seulgi had said he should try something new, perhaps this was it. Socializing with more than one person at a time.

Regardless, it felt good. It felt good to sit so close to Baekhyun and Jongdae like he’d known them for years, to not flinch every time Baekhyun found a new way to press their bare skin together and make it buzz, to not dodge questions about himself being asked by strangers. Talking about his lifelong friendship with Chanyeol was easy, listening to the similarities in Minseok’s perspective of his own friendship with the other wolves was fascinating, hearing Jongdae talk about the werewolf pups he tutored in music was endearing. Kyungsoo was almost overwhelmed with how much he liked these people.

So much positivity, in fact, that when Chanyeol, Yixing, and Minseok were across the room dancing despite there being no dancefloor, and Baekhyun and Jongdae were at the bar grabbing water for everyone, Kyungsoo forgot about the buddy system. Just like everyone else seemed to. And, well, Kyungsoo needed to take a piss. He’d had a lot to drink and it all seemed to hit him at once. The hallway to the restrooms was just a few feet away really, so he stumbled toward it, trying to blink away the spinning room.

The bar suddenly seemed much more like a funhouse than a pub, however. He could swear the hallway entrance was shifting and twisting, trying to confuse him. Even when he finally made it through, the doorknobs to the bathrooms blurred and changed size, making them hard to grab.

But Kyungsoo was an adult! He could do it! He threw himself into the first door that let him open it and clumsily locked it behind him. Found his way to the toilet. Washed his hands. Splashed water on his face. “Okay,” he huffed. “Better.” The cold water helped his sluggish brain, so he quickly dried it and slipped back into the dark hallway.

His heart leapt into his throat when he was yanked into darkness the second he stepped out of the hallway.

He yelped, unable to help it, and a hand covered his mouth, but only for a second. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s just me.” _Jongdae._

“What the fuck?”

“Shh.” Jongdae glanced back at Baekhyun, who was cautiously approaching. God, the corner they were in was really fucking dark.

“Any reason you’re handing out fucking heart attacks?” Kyungsoo did manage to whisper, gaining some semblance of coherence, but he bristled, on high alert. 

Despite how good of a time he’d had with these very wolves, how weirdly attracted he maybe was to both of them, he was now trapped by them. He wasn’t even sure Chanyeol could see them. Was he too distracted to sense Kyungsoo? To hear him if he called out? 

“What are you doing?” he tried again, through gritted teeth, because Jongdae and Baekhyun were only pressing a little closer and _not saying anything._

“Hey, hey, hold on,” Jongdae said. He rested a cautious hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Your heart’s racing. Calm down. We’re not trying to hurt you, Kyungsoo.”

“Isn’t that what someone trying to hurt me would say?”

Baekhyun’s ears flicked back, like the words did a number on his feelings, and Kyungsoo instantly felt bad for saying it. “We would never hurt you,” Baekhyun said. He really had the nicest voice. Or maybe Kyungsoo was just drunk enough to love it for no reason. Kyungsoo did believe him, however. It was the pout on his bright pink lips, Kyungsoo knew. The flush of his cheeks. God. The longer he held eye contact with him, the more Kyungsoo relaxed.

Finally, he was confident enough to look at Jongdae again. “You have to realize how threatening this looks.”

Jongdae blinked, a few times, clarity, before nodding. “I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to—I just looked over and you were gone and—” He glanced over his shoulder. “Kyungsoo, can you trust me?”

“For what—”

But Jongdae was already leaning in for what Kyungsoo thought was a _kiss._ Kyungsoo was ready to enter a moment of full-on panic, because he’d kind of like to kiss Jongdae, which was bewildering in itself, but he was also still a little scared, but—Jongdae leaned past his face, toward Kyungsoo’s ear.

“Yixing overheard that group of Alphas talking,” he said, in the softest whisper. “Plotting. They...were planning to do something to _you,_ Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo’s blood ran cold. And if the way Jongdae shuddered was any indication of how bad whatever they’d said was, Kyungsoo absolutely did not want to know. Suddenly, the wall of werewolf blocking him from the world wasn’t a threat, it was a safety net.

“What?” he dumbly asked. He didn’t even know what else to say.

Jongdae grasped comfortingly at his waist, and Baekhyun rested a hand on each of them. One rubbing Jongdae’s back, the other gently cupping Kyungsoo’s cheek. “We’re going to protect you the best we can,” Jongdae was saying, but Kyungsoo’s eyes were locked with Baekhyun’s again. “But there are too many of them for us to safely escort you out right now.”

Kyungsoo was overwhelmed. The idea that he couldn’t even leave for fear of some Alphas trying to, what? Attack him? Assault him? Kidnap him? It set him on edge all over again, anxiety skyrocketing. It was _almost_ offset by the gentle touches from both wolves. Talk about whiplash.

“What about Chanyeol?” he managed to ask. He tried to implore with his expression alone how worried he was, staring into Baekhyun’s gaze. It only made him shuffle closer, frown deepening.

“He’s with the Betas,” he said. “They’ll take good care of him.”

Jongdae continued in his ear, “He was never their target.”

Kyungsoo froze, other than his hands, which clasped around a handful of each of their shirts before he could stop it. “What do you mean?”

Baekhyun appeared so genuinely concerned, almost like Kyungsoo’s spike in fear was paining him. Kyungsoo was pretty sure he even whimpered. But it was still Jongdae who answered, lips brushing Kyungsoo’s ear.

“You looked like a challenge to them. They were trying to get Chanyeol drunk and out of the way. Use him to draw you in. They wanted _you_ to save him.”

“What the fuck.”

“Trust me,” Jongdae said, a growl layered beneath it. “It has taken everything in me not to rip their heads off. But it’s taken a long time for Seulgi to earn respect for herself and her establishment, so I—”

“Why can’t _she_ do anything? Isn’t she an Alpha too?”

“She’s handling it. Discreetly.”

Kyungsoo cut his eyes to the bar, and almost as if she knew he was looking, she tipped something that looked more like medicine than anything else into the drink she was making, her back to the Alpha waiting at the counter. When he met Baekhyun’s eyes again, Baekhyun nodded.

“The best we can do for right now,” Jongdae said, “is make you look and smell as taken by two Alphas as possible without getting arrested for public indecency.

Heat rushed to Kyungsoo’s cheeks, enough that he knew Baekhyun could feel it. He was scared to ask exactly what that meant, so he focused on the _two Alphas_ statement. So Baekhyun was an Alpha too. He’d known everyone’s classification but his. He’d assumed Omega or Beta. It was odd that he was proudly showing his ears and tail, no matter how pretty they were.

After too long of a silence, Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“Only whatever you’re comfortable with,” Jongdae said. “But it needs to look convincing. Even if it just means scenting you until Chanyeol’s chocolate scent is gone.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t remember the last time he and Baekhyun had looked away from each other. “I’m a little overwhelmed,” he blurted. “I don’t know what…”

“That’s okay. You’re okay.” Jongdae’s hand traveled, up from Kyungsoo’s waist until it was just under Baekhyun’s, cupping the side of Kyungsoo’s neck. “Just take a deep breath for us, yeah? Your heart is pounding loud enough for the entire bar to hear.”

“Is it?” But Kyungsoo nodded, doing his best to suck in a breath. It was easier when he realized how corny he was being by thinking about being lost in someone’s eyes. Kyungsoo really, really wasn’t a romantic by nature, but tonight was doing everything in its power to disprove that. Baekhyun was captivating. Jongdae, too. “I...I need to be scented…? By both of you?” He didn’t know much about how scenting worked, other than it _not_ involving being peed on, as he had assumed early in his friendship with Chanyeol. They had only been seven years old at the time, after all, and Kyungsoo had never met a wolf before.

Otherwise, all Kyungsoo really knew was that Chanyeol liked him to smell like him sometimes. Living together was typically enough, Chanyeol told him, but the farther away from Chanyeol’s heats, the more Chanyeol wanted to snuggle in Kyungsoo’s bed.

“It doesn’t have to be both of us,” Baekhyun said, but his ears flattened, and Kyungsoo’s heart sank. Baekhyun was as much a puppy as Chanyeol, which was dangerous for Kyungsoo. He was such a sucker for cute people. “But it’s rare to carry the scent of two Alphas. We think it’d be more effective. But we don’t want to make you uncomfy…”

Kyungsoo shook his head. Breaths were slowly coming easier, and he knew he was finally calming down when his death grip on their clothes loosened. His body shuddered when Jongdae placed a slow kiss on his neck.

_“Is this okay?”_

Kyungsoo nodded.

He would overthink it later, probably, the way he let go of Jongdae’s shirt and slid his hand up, up, until it was slinking along Jongdae’s neck and into his hair. The way he pressed into the steadily more insistent kisses on his skin. It was the fear, the fading adrenaline. The alcohol running rampant. The _try something new_ voice in his head, that made him do the same to Baekhyun. Only this time, Kyungsoo watched the way his fingers entwined with the soft, silver strands of hair, the way Baekhyun’s ears flicked happily.

“Baekhyun,” he whispered, tasting the name on his tongue in a different way, relishing when Baekhyun pressed ever-closer. “Baekhyun.”

“Kyungsoo.”

Fuck. He watched Baekhyun’s pupils dilate the second his breath hitched, fingers tightening in both the wolves’ hair. Jongdae’s canines were gently nipping at his neck now, which was surprisingly satisfying.

“God, Kyungsoo, you smell so good,” Jongdae said under his breath. “Underneath Chanyeol’s scent. Fuck.” Jongdae’s hands traveled slowly down Kyungsoo’s body, lighting fires in their wake. Kyungsoo could hardly remember the last time he’d been touched this way, didn’t even have the ghost of a memory, really, outside of Chanyeol’s heats. Was it Jennie, senior year of high school? Fuck.

The more confident Jongdae grew that Kyungsoo wasn’t going to shove him away, the less Kyungsoo wanted to leave. Maybe this was the best protection _and_ distraction from his unending loneliness, in the end. Oh, god, was he really that lonely? He _hated_ alcohol.

When Jongdae’s hand cupped Kyungsoo’s ass, squeezed it, Baekhyun’s eyes flashed a threatening shade of red. Alpha, indeed. It was more hot than scary in the moment, though. Was Baekhyun jealous? Because really, Kyungsoo was fucking drunk and desperate, and had plenty of room for two mouths—

“Are you two together?” he finally blurted. He’d been dying to know all night, because despite the cuddling and the pet names and the lovey-dovey expressions, something told him they weren’t. Maybe they wanted to be. Maybe they didn’t want a relationship. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

He was just about breathless from Jongdae’s mouth on his neck alone, from the way Baekhyun kept inching closer and closer, but not close enough. 

“It’s complicated,” they both said.

Slowly, Kyungsoo nodded. “Okay.”

Without another ounce of hesitation, he dragged Baekhyun by the hair, right down to his mouth.

Jongdae’s breath stuttered on his neck the moment they collided, Baekhyun utterly _devouring_ him. There was heat, and there were teeth, an underlying franticness that spoke volumes to whatever had been building between them all night with the weird, fucking buzzy skin. Kyungsoo felt like he’d been starving for Baekhyun specifically, like he’d been deprived of him his entire life and was just given full-access to a lifetime supply. Like he was the desert, and Baekhyun was the rain. 

His thumb caressed Kyungsoo’s jaw, and his other hand entwined with Jongdae’s on Kyungsoo’s waist. It was all so unnervingly intimate, just like being strangers wrapped around each other at the table earlier, and yet Kyungsoo couldn’t get enough.

He moaned under his breath when Baekhyun’s tongue parted his lips in time with Jongdae biting down a little harder—with blunt teeth this time. His senses were so overwhelmed, but he did his best to focus on the sweet taste of Baekhyun’s curious tongue. Nipped at it just to hear the sound of Baekhyun’s whimper.

When an inhumanly sharp tooth nicked his lip, he gasped, but refused to back down, still chasing Baekhyun’s mouth. But he was forced to open his eyes, even if only to beg for more, when Baekhyun stopped kissing him completely.

He looked...like he was transitioning, almost. The red of his eyes was deeper, and wasn’t going away. His teeth were fully exposed, digging into his swollen bottom lip.

“Sorry,” Baekhyun said, tearing his hand away from Kyungsoo’s face to cover his mouth. Was he embarrassed? Kyungsoo frowned. “You—You taste even better than you smell but I still—I don’t know why I can’t…” Dazedly, Kyungsoo tugged at Baekhyun’s wrist, forcing him to uncover his mouth. “Can’t control…”

Jongdae lifted his head, watching, and Kyungsoo shook his own. He stroked his thumb along Baekhyun’s cheek, close to his fangs. “I’m not afraid of you,” he said. 

He wasn’t. Logically, somewhere in his brain, he knew he should be. Being cornered by two, powerful, supernatural creatures that he hardly knew was definitely cause for concern. But somehow he knew Baekhyun wouldn’t hurt him. Ever.

Fingers grazed his jaw, pulling his attention from Baekhyun’s red eyes. He only met Jongdae’s gaze for a second before Jongdae was pulling him into an even deeper kiss than he had shared with Baekhyun.

Jongdae’s mouth, sharper but more careful than Baekhyun’s, drew his breath right from his lungs. Jongdae kissed him, kissed each of his lips and tongue like he was trying to take care of him, yet swallow him whole all at once. And god, Kyungsoo _wanted._

By the time Baekhyun’s face was buried in the crook of his shoulder, marking up the unkissed side of his neck, Kyungsoo was a goner.

He lost track of everyone’s hands, everyone’s mouths. It didn’t matter who he was kissing as long as it was one of them. It didn’t matter if he was kissing fangs or feeling the fangs against his neck. There was no doubt it was all the best he’d ever had, and he selfishly never wanted either of them to stop. He never wanted to stop feeling so warm, so cherished, so wanted.

Just as someone’s thigh slid between his legs to offer him sweet relief, a booming voice bounded toward them, shattering the heated moment. Kyungsoo cowered, assuming it was one of the dangerous Alphas. But then the haze lifted and he realized it was _Chanyeol._ It took Kyungsoo a moment of sluggish blinking to focus on Chanyeol’s face, and a moment longer to process the way his eyebrows were pulled together, his yellow, wolf-eyes shining through his usual brown.

“—the fuck do you two think you’re doing?!” Chanyeol was saying. Shouting, actually. It was enough to startle Kyungsoo further out of his daze, because these were two Alphas clinging protectively to him, and Chanyeol was yelling at them. At _Alphas._

“Yeol—”

“You promised—why the fuck do I smell his blood?”

Kyungsoo paused, and barely flinched when Jongdae licked his neck. In fact, it merely reminded him how much he wanted to go back to what they were doing. Minseok and Yixing peered curiously from behind Chanyeol.

“It was an accident, Chanyeol,” Jongdae said, licking his lips. “I got carried away, and my tooth pricked him. It’s already almost healed.”

The licking. Kyungsoo vaguely remembered hearing that Alphas’ saliva had minor healing abilities and thinking it was weird.

“You did?” he asked. He didn’t even feel it, and said as much out loud. Baekhyun’s mouth was just that distracting, he supposed. That good. His thumb stroked Baekhyun’s cheek in response to the thought. Baekhyun preened.

“See, Yeollie?” Yixing said. “I told you they’re good Alphas. Kyungsoo didn’t even know it happened. Very minor. You know how badly wolf bites can hurt otherwise.”

Chanyeol scrutinized every inch of Kyungsoo, like he just needed to be sure, before sagging. He nodded. “I’m sorry, Alphas. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I understand if you want to puni—”

“Hey, hey!” Jongdae stepped away from Kyungsoo, much to his chagrin, and cupped Chanyeol’s face in his hands like he had earlier in the night. Baekhyun wrapped his arms fully around Kyungsoo in his absence, pressing his nose into Kyungsoo’s neck. “We’re not going to punish you, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong. Sticking up for your friend like that is so admirable. That makes me so proud.”

Chanyeol was pouting, avoiding eye contact, but he couldn’t hide the way his ears perked and his tail began to wag. Praise always was the easiest way to Chanyeol’s heart.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Jongdae said. “It really was an accident. All three of us are a little too drunk to get as intense as we just did. I’ll check with S—”

“If you take the back exit, you’ll make it to your cars safely,” Seulgi said, seeming to materialize out of nowhere on the other side of Baekhyun. “They’re all out front. Puking. Too busy to notice you slipping by from the back. People really shouldn’t drink so much.” She winked at Kyungsoo, and then she was gone.

“What just happened,” Kyungsoo said.

Baekhyun giggled and Jongdae grinned. “You’re free.” The latter faced Kyungsoo again and caressed his jaw, which Kyungsoo pressed into. “We’ll walk you to your car.”

“That’s it? Um.” He tried not to heave up his immediate embarrassment over accidentally asking that out loud. Being drunk was _stupid._

Jongdae cooed, pinching his cheek this time. Kyungsoo at least had the dignity to swat his hand away. His fluttering heart betrayed his disgruntledness, however, when Baekhyun easily caught his hand, twining their fingers.

“I wanna keep him, Dae,” Baekhyun said, voice soft and sleepy, inviting, breath tickling Kyungsoo’s neck. He was so warm against Kyungsoo’s body. Welcome.

Jongdae cooed again, but gentler this time, touching both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s cheeks. It must have been his special brand of affection, or how he made people feel better in general. “I know, babe,” he said. “But we’re drunk, and we need to make sure Kyungsoo gets out of here safe and sound. Top priority.”

That made Baekhyun straighten up, wake up, maybe. But he still clung to Kyungsoo, merely shifting until one arm was looped around Kyungsoo’s waist, keeping him close. “He’s such a responsible drunk,” Baekhyun muttered to him, but there was this gleam in his eye that gave Kyungsoo the distinct feeling that “it’s complicated” meant a big kind of love was involved, like Kyungsoo had partially assumed.

Kyungsoo smiled, because Baekhyun was so _cute,_ despite the way his stomach sank at the realization that he didn’t want this night to end, that it inevitably would, that he probably wouldn’t get to see them again. He still didn’t regret it, though, surprisingly. 

Regardless of the very real danger that had presented itself, for once he had stopped holding back, he’d let himself have what he wanted, he’d let himself _live._

“Uh, I have two questions,” Kyungsoo said when they reached the back door Seulgi had mentioned.

“Yeah, babe?” Jongdae asked, such simple words heating Kyungsoo’s neck faster than the desert sun.

He cleared his throat. “Um, one, what about my bar tab? And two, did any of that even happen or did I get black out drunk and I’m actually dreaming right now?”

Everyone around him laughed, but it was Baekhyun’s affectionate kiss against his neck that he felt the most. Definitely (maybe) not a dream, then. Jongdae squeezed the back of his neck. “I covered your tab about five seconds after we met.”

“Oh. What?”

Jongdae pouted. “I can’t resist a cutie.”

“Oh, god, stop.” Kyungsoo tried to cover his face, but Jongdae and Baekhyun both worked to hold his hands down, giggling all the while.

“And yes, that just happened.” Now Jongdae cleared his throat. Kyungsoo wondered if he was thinking about it. Kyungsoo certainly was.

“Guys, we should go,” Minseok said.

“Ahh,” Jongdae half-whined. “Minnie is right.”

Kyungsoo almost had to cringe when the wolves fell into formation around him as they entered the alley. The Alphas were at his side, Minseok in front, and Chanyeol and Yixing following behind.

Kyungsoo did drop his head and groan under his breath. “This is so embarrassing.”

“No it isn’t,” Baekhyun instantly said, pouting. “It’s necessary.” Jongdae’s hand warmly clasped Kyungsoo’s.

“I don’t know about necessary,” Minseok said. “They’re sick as shit up there. I can hear them.”

“But it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Yixing added, and Kyungsoo sighed. He never thought he’d feel bad for being a human, but he certainly did now.

No one said anything else as they trudged toward the parking lot, for fear of the other wolves hearing them. The only interaction at all was when Kyungsoo checked over his shoulder to see Chanyeol and Yixing holding each other’s pinkies, followed by Jongdae seeing it too. They merely grinned at each other knowingly.

Kyungsoo sighed when they finally reached his car, immediately digging his keys out and tossing them to Chanyeol. The group split, then, Minseok and Yixing escorting Chanyeol to the driver’s side. Kyungsoo leaned his back against the passenger side door, prolonging the inevitable, perhaps. Baekhyun predictably gravitated closer, and Jongdae smiled at them.

“I’d like to meet up when we’re all...completely sober,” he said. “If you would be okay with that, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo chewed on his lip. “What...like a date?”

“Maybe.” Jongdae chuckled. “A discussion, definitely. Either way…”

Kyungsoo nodded before he could psyche himself out of it. “Okay.”

Baekhyun didn’t wait another second to slip his hand right into Kyungsoo’s pocket, fishing out his phone. He quickly dialed a number, and only hung up when Jongdae’s pocket started singing. Baekhyun put Kyungsoo’s phone back right where he got it, beaming.

“Call us,” he said, before grabbing Kyungsoo’s cheeks and planting the softest of kisses on his lips. Kyungsoo melted right into it. He couldn’t help it.

They were both smiling when they pulled back, and a single finger curling around Kyungsoo’s drew his attention away. Jongdae was biting his lip. “Could I have one too?”

Affection rushed through Kyungsoo’s veins without warning, practically suffocating him. He only glanced at Baekhyun to say, “God, he really is the responsible drunk,” and just barely caught Baekhyun’s thousand watt smile before yanking Jongdae by the collar of his shirt and capturing his mouth in a firm kiss.

After a moment, Kyungsoo murmured, “I feel like I should warn you.”

“Oh?”

“That I don’t think I’m anywhere near this bold when I’m sober.”

They melted into laughter together, and Jongdae kissed his smile over and over. “That’s okay,” he said. “I can be bold enough for the three of us, if needed.”

It was a curious statement, because Baekhyun seemed incredibly confident, but Kyungsoo decided not to question it. Instead, he caught Baekhyun mid-sniff and surprised him with another kiss. Might as well make the most of the liquid courage still pulsating through him, right? It was more than worth it for the soft giggle it drew from Baekhyun’s throat, anyway, and the playful way he nipped at Kyungsoo’s lip in retaliation.

When the three of them finally seemed to get the affection out of their system, they quieted, soft smiles on all of their faces.

“Well,” Jongdae said. “This has been...an unexpected night. But I’m so glad we met you, Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun nodded emphatically. Kyungsoo glanced at his feet to hide his widening smile.

“Me too,” he said. “Me too.”

Chanyeol, to his credit, waited until they were at least a mile away from the bar to screech, _“What the fuck was that, oh my god?!”_

Kyungsoo could only laugh. He had no idea.


	2. Slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo meets the wolves again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 6.3k

“Kyungsoo.”

“No.”

“Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo dragged a pillow over his head and kicked at the _child_ sitting on his legs. “Fuck off, Yeol.”

“It’s noon.”

“Congrats on telling time. Goodnight.”

 _“Kyungsoo!”_ God, Chanyeol’s whining was always either incredibly effective, or incredibly annoying. Today, it was the latter. “Soo, it’s time to get up and gossip about last night! I’ve been waiting all morning!”

Kyungsoo started muttering under his breath. “Your first time getting shitfaced and you’re not even hungover. What the fuck kind of fair is that.”

“I’m not sure wolves can get hungover.”

“Why don’t you go find out and come back in two hours?”

Chanyeol grumbled, something about rudeness. “Go shower the Alpha stink off of you and I’ll make you some eggs and coffee.”

Kyungsoo groaned, feeling petulant enough to tear up. He just wanted to sleep. He just wanted some peace and quiet. “Yeollie, please.”

 _“Ugh,_ okay, okay. One more hour.”

“Deal.”

After five minutes of failing to fall asleep, Kyungsoo whined. “Dammit, Chanyeol.”

Distant cheering erupted from the living room.

“Are you gonna see them again?”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes to the feeling of Chanyeol’s gentle fingers brushing through his hair. It was a familiar position. The two of them were sprawled on the couch, Kyungsoo between Chanyeol’s legs, head on Chanyeol’s stomach while they waited for Kyungsoo’s hangover pains to pass. Being freshly showered and well-fed certainly helped, but Chanyeol had always been a naturally soothing presence for Kyungsoo.

“Last night...feels like a dream,” he said. “I can’t make sense of it.”

“Of what? The night?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “No. Of...how much I still want them.”

“Awww, my Kyungsoo! Growing up so fast!” Chanyeol dramatically sniffled. “Look at him having _feelings_ for someone— _ow!”_

Kyungsoo grumbled, pinching Chanyeol one more time for good measure. Chanyeol whined before their voices petered off completely. The silence could only last so long when Chanyeol was curious though. 

“You know, your scents compliment each other,” he said.

“Hmm?”

“Sometimes wolves are attracted to each other more because of scent alone, and They say if scents compliment each other, they’re meant to be.”

Kyungsoo quietly groaned. “Fate, Chanyeol? Really?”

He felt Chanyeol shrug. “I dunno. But it was a running joke last night between me, Xing, and Minseok that you and Baek were sugar and spice, so Jongdae must be everything nice.”

_“What?”_

Chanyeol giggled. “I’ve told you before that your scent is like spice, like...apple cider or anything in autumn. Baekhyun smells like cotton candy.”

“So...pure sugar?”

“Yeah. But like, airy. It’s weird.”

Kyungsoo laughed. “Sugar and spice. God.”

“Jongdae’s scent is different. It’s really buried beneath Baekhyun’s but it’s...a fresh scent. Like the woods. Petrichor, maybe.”

“That sounds...nice, actually.”

“It is.” Chanyeol hummed. “Also...it...made me really happy to see you enjoy yourself last night.”

Kyungsoo pressed his cheek more firmly against Chanyeol’s belly. He wasn’t really sure he had the mental energy to get sentimental right now, or ever. “I always enjoy myself when we go out,” he tried.

Chanyeol tapped his head. “Not like that. I know you were drunk, but it was different. You were…”

“I just made out with a couple of people.”

Chanyeol snorted. “I am glad you sucked face with some hot men, but what’s funny is that’s not what I keep remembering.”

“No?”

Chanyeol’s nails gently scratched at his scalp, lulling Kyungsoo toward the realm of sleep. “Nah. It’s when I looked across the table and you couldn’t stop laughing, with your head on Jongdae’s shoulder. Your face scrunched up all cute like it does.” Kyungsoo half-heartedly swatted at him. “I think they fell a little bit in love with you right then.”

“Yeol,” Kyungsoo groaned, covering his face. “Why are you such a sap?”

“I just really liked seeing you so happy because of them.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “I was happy because you were okay.” He clasped his fist around Chanyeol’s shirt. “When I saw that prick grab you…”

“Hey.” Chanyeol dragged his fingers down to stroke Kyungsoo’s face. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure, Yeol? We never talked about it. I can’t imagine how you felt…”

He felt Chanyeol shrug. “I know that...it was bad. But honestly, Soo, I hardly remember it. Which is probably for the best, right?” He sighed. “Yixing talked with me once I sobered up a bit. It could’ve been a lot worse, so I’m grateful. Even if I didn’t get my big, strong Alpha, you got—“ He laughed. “—you got _two_ Alphas—“

“I didn’t get _anything.”_

“Sure.” Chanyeol snorted, then hummed. “And I got…Yixing is really nice.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile, only opening his eyes again to look up at Chanyeol’s soft expression. “Yeah?”

He watched the color flood Chanyeol’s cheeks. “Um, yeah.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, letting his eyes flutter shut under Chanyeol’s continued petting. “A tiny Beta,” he mumbled. “That’s the opposite of what you wanted.”

“Two tiny Alphas,” Chanyeol said in retaliation. “The opposite of what you expected.”

“It’s not like they’re mine, Chanyeol.”

“Hmph. They certainly made you theirs.”

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to make of everything in the daylight, mostly sober. His memories were blurry, but he couldn’t possibly forget the feeling of two mouths hot against his skin, of the fangs threatening his neck making him weak in the knees. He couldn’t forget the way Baekhyun’s hair felt between his fingers, Jongdae’s thigh against his crotch. The tingly, buzzy feeling every time he and Baekhyun touched.

All he knew was that his stomach churned every time he considered what it would be like to see them again. Would it be as charged? Would they realize it was only the alcohol? Would they laugh at the way they acted like lovers after only a couple of hours of knowing each other?

“I’m not anyone’s,” he finally said, trying not to let his following sigh sound so sad. Really, what did it matter? He was fine being alone.

Chanyeol took a deep breath that carried Kyungsoo with it, calming him considerably. “I think you should see them again and find out if you’re right.”

It took two days to hear from Jongdae, who added Kyungsoo to a group chat with him and Baekhyun. It took two more days to come face to face with them again.

By then, Kyungsoo’s skin was itching for their touch.

 **jongdae kim:** _We’re at a table in the back, but I’ll come meet you at the door!_

Kyungsoo rocked up onto the balls of his feet, suddenly nervous. They’d agreed to meet on neutral ground, mostly because even Chanyeol was a little wary about having two Alphas in the apartment, or sending Kyungsoo by himself into two Alphas’ “territory.” Neutral ground ended up being a cafe in downtown they had all been to before, that specialised in the best toasted sandwiches Kyungsoo had ever eaten. It was bustling with studious college-age kids, but as usual, it was the perfect mix of white noise, warm lighting, and the homey smell of freshly-brewed coffee. It worked to calm his nerves, but it was a futile attempt when, the second Kyungsoo caught sight of Jongdae’s pristinely-styled, black hair coming toward him, his heartbeat skyrocketed dangerously.

His memory hadn’t done Jongdae’s smile justice. “Kyungsoo,” he said, voice as warm as his smile. He glanced down at Kyungsoo’s chest briefly as he approached. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Kyungsoo did that cursed, awkward wave of his, because he didn’t know what to do with his goddamn hands. Which, in retrospect, was probably why Jongdae hesitated in the midst of moving in for a hug. Oh god, Kyungsoo was a disaster.

Jongdae laughed, minutely shaking his head as he went for it, pulling Kyungsoo into his embrace for just a moment. “This is weird, right?” he teased.

Weird didn’t even cover it, but Kyungsoo couldn’t deny it was also a bit exhilarating. Or maybe that was just the flashbacks of Jongdae pressed against him several nights ago, tongue deep in Kyungsoo’s mouth. He cleared his throat. It was suddenly a lot hotter in the cafe than it had been when he walked in. 

“A little, yeah,” he managed to say.

Jongdae’s hands glided down his arms as they pulled away from each other. He grinned. “It’s okay. I told you I could be bold enough for the three of us.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “You did. Sorry.” He shook his head. “I’m happy to be here, I’m just…”

“Nervous?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s okay. So are we.”

Kyungsoo chewed on his lip. “You are?”

“Extremely.” Carefully, Jongdae said, “I’m aware that we have an advantage over you, so, Baek and I agree that we want to be as open as possible about anything we’re feeling today. Well, and any day moving forward.”

“Ah.” While Kyungsoo lived in a world where feelings generally embarrassed him, he could appreciate the immediate effort to keep things as equal as was realistic in their situation. “Thank you.” He glanced around the room, and realized he was searching for Baekhyun. He cleared his throat again. “Have you ordered?”

Jongdae smiled. “Just coffee. Do you want something to eat?”

“I’m not sure if I’m hungry.”

That made Jongdae laugh. “Why don’t we just get something we can share. Those homemade chips are good.”

On cue, Kyungsoo’s stomach growled, which didn’t go unnoticed. He laughed at his feet. “Okay. Sure.”

“You’ve been here before, right?” Jongdae asked as they moved toward the counter. There wasn’t a line, which he was unreasonably grateful for.

He nodded. “All the time. I like to come here to write.”

“You said you were freelance, right?”

“Yeah. I’m...surprised you remember.”

Jongdae chuckled. “We drank so much that night.” He sounded sheepish. “But I do remember. Most of it feels like a dream, but I remember.” His eyes fell to Kyungsoo’s neck, which instantly made it burn. Today was the first day he didn’t have bruises motting his skin. The cuts from their canine teeth were already gone, too.

“Ah.” Kyungsoo rubbed the back of his neck. “Should we order?”

Jongdae licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah. You want a drink? It’s on me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Call it me being happy to see you safe and sound, if nothing else.”

They stared at each other, but Kyungsoo caught on that Jongdae was too stubborn to give in, so he sighed, and agreed, murmuring his usual coffee order and letting Jongdae do the work talking to the barista.

“Where’s Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asked once they stepped to the side to wait on their order.

Jongdae’s smile grew slowly, knowingly, as he opened the small bag of strawberry and lemon candies he’d just purchased. Apparently those were Baekhyun and Jongdae’s favorite flavors, because _of course they were._ He’d have to have another chat with Seulgi eventually.

“He’s holding our table," Jongdae answered, popping a candy in his mouth. "We grabbed one in that back room.” He pointed behind Kyungsoo. “He’s antsy. I was a little worried he’d pounce, so I made him stay there.”

 _Pounce._ Maybe Kyungsoo wasn’t the only one itching.

It didn’t take long for their basket of chips and coffee to come up, and Kyungsoo’s skin tingled all over when Jongdae insisted on carrying both himself. “Uh, just in case,” he said, uncertain, eyes flicking to the door Baekhyun was behind. He almost seemed nervous in a different way than Kyungsoo, if Kyungsoo didn’t know any better. For a fleeting second, he wondered how this talk of theirs would actually go. Could he have read everything wrong? Was Jongdae upset that Baekhyun had taken some kind of liking to Kyungsoo?

He reminded himself that Jongdae seemed to like him as well. He was overthinking this. They were just here to talk. They all wanted to be here.

“Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo almost froze, Baekhyun's velvety voice hitting him like a brick. Whatever his heart, his insides, his aura, or whatever did in response, made Jongdae glance at him, almost wide-eyed. But then it wasn't just Baekhyun's voice slamming into him, it was Baekhyun himself, wrapping Kyungsoo so tightly in his arms it felt like they were melding together.

Most terrifying of all, it felt like Kyungsoo was exactly where he was always meant to be.

"Hey," he said, the word whooshing out of him as a wheeze. He didn't unclasp his hands from the back of Baekhyun's shirt, though.

He shivered when Baekhyun pressed his cold nose into the crook of his neck. "Hey," he murmured back, lips brushing Kyungsoo's skin. "Ugh you reek of Chanyeol." He didn't pull away, though, instead dragging his nose up to just behind Kyungsoo's ear. "That's better."

The laugh that bubbled up in Kyungsoo's throat sounded horrifyingly like a giggle, but Kyungsoo would just blame it on Baekhyun's breath being ticklish. Before he could mention Chanyeol making an identical comment about their scents, Jongdae stepped closer. "Baek, tone it down, babe," he said, voice soft, fond. Thankfully, it was fond. He looked at Kyungsoo. "Glad I carried your coffee now, aren't you?"

Kyungsoo laughed and nodded as Baekhyun pulled away from him, who beamed at them with the wattage of a thousand suns. "Sorry," he said, not seeming very sorry at all. "It's just really nice to see you."

Kyungsoo directed his smile to his feet. Baekhyun was holding his hands. "Agreed."

"Oh god," Jongdae whined, moving away to set their stuff down. "It's hard enough dealing with an adorable Baekhyun. How am I supposed to handle you both being adorable?"

Baekhyun giggled. "Guess you'll just have to get tougher."

Kyungsoo looked up again just as Jongdae made the cutest little _grr_ sound, an obvious mockery of real growling, only to grab Baekhyun's face and kiss his cheek. 

Oh, Kyungsoo was a dead man. 

"Come on, let's sit," Jongdae said, but Kyungsoo had a hard time seeing past the cute way Baekhyun's entire face had scrunched up, and how he seemed to _glow_ right after something as simple as a cheek kiss.

He let go of one of Kyungsoo's hands, only to lovingly clasp one of Jongdae's too. Kyungsoo watched them squeeze, then let go.

Their table was in the very corner of the room, offering them a rather secluded feeling. Red, cushioned booth seats lined the walls of the room, and a couple of wooden chairs closed the table in, but Jongdae slid onto the booth bench first, rounding the corner, and Baekhyun followed, pulling Kyungsoo with him. He couldn't tell if he relished how close it made them, sitting crowded into the corner, or if it only added to his nervousness. 

Baekhyun seemed happiest about it, despite having the least leg room. He let go of Kyungsoo's hand and rested both of his own on Kyungsoo and Jongdae's thighs, smiling softly to himself. Kyungsoo noted the gentle way the very tip of his silver tail wagged against the back of their seat, slowly, like he was most content just like this.

"So..." Jongdae said, followed by a bloated pause. Then, they all laughed. "Where do we even start?"

Kyungsoo shook his head, feeling weirdly brave with Baekhyun's hand on him. "I guess where it matters most. Do...any of us regret what happened the other night?" He shook his head again, to convey his answer, and Jongdae and Baekhyun did the same.

"Definitely not," Baekhyun said.

"Agreed." Jongdae hummed. "Confused, though, is a different story."

Kyungsoo tilted his head and pulled his coffee toward himself. "Confused how? I mean, we were drunk."

"We were..." Baekhyun watched Jongdae intently as the latter searched for the words he wanted to say. "It's just a little odd how Baek and I had trouble controlling our wolves, which is...well, something that happens to Alphas more often around Omegas they're attracted to, or Omegas presenting their heats."

"Really?" Kyungsoo frowned. "I, um, just assumed it was a wolfy thing."

"I mean, it is," Jongdae said, smiling like he really did think Kyungsoo was adorable. "But I don't know. It's like your scent overwhelmed us. You know we can be specifically attracted to scents, right?"

Kyungsoo nodded. "Chanyeol’s explained it to me."

"Good. Also, uh, well. I guess we also both got a taste of your blood, so that...could also have something to do with it."

Baekhyun nodded. "When we were going over everything together, we realized I completely lost it right after I accidentally cut your lip."

"Blood can do that to you guys?"

"Yeah," Jongdae answered, but something in his expression remained unsure. "I guess my point with bringing this up is that I don't know how to explain us reacting so primal, but we're both really sorry if it was ever...overwhelming."

Kyungsoo pulled his eyebrows together. "It wasn't. At least not in a bad way. I-I don't have reactions to things like that like you do, but I wanted all of that just as much. Even if it was a bit...out of character."

"You don't do stuff like that, normally?" Jongdae asked.

Slowly, Kyungsoo shook his head. "I don't really go out much. It's been a while since I've even..." He sighed. "It's been a while since I've been with anyone at all."

"And two Alphas felt like the way to, uh, break that streak so to speak?"

Kyungsoo felt heat rise all the way up to the tips of his ears. "To be fair, I didn't know Baekhyun was an Alpha until right before things, uh...the kissing." He made a frustrated noise in his throat. "Besides, you're the one who said I needed to be scented. How do I know that wasn't premeditated?"

Despite Kyungsoo's tone not being harsh, Baekhyun looked particularly hurt by that accusation, which sent a pang of guilt straight through Kyungsoo's stomach. He dropped his hand on top of Baekhyun's in apology.

"It wasn't," Jongdae reassured, voice gentle. He was holding Baekhyun's hand now, too. "I didn't plan on all the kissing, honestly, I—" He bit his lip. "Kissing your neck felt like the fastest way to get my scent on you, and...suddenly you and Baek were kissing like your lives depended on it, and all I could think was _‘me too, me too.’_ All I wanted after that was to taste you both."

Kyungsoo pointedly did not think about how terribly he had read the situation before, being the one to kiss Baekhyun, and focused, for once, on the heat spreading across his skin. "Yeah. Yeah. Me too." He was, at least, glad he wasn't alone in _that_ feeling. Baekhyun nodded, but Kyungsoo realized he was staring at their hands gently resting against each other. Kyungsoo hesitated. "Um...so...why does my skin feel so weird when we touch?" He gulped around his nervousness. He could've been overthinking this, like everything else. It could've been nothing. It had been much more pronounced when they were drunk out of their minds. But he could still feel it, a quiet, pleasant buzzing everywhere their skin met.

Baekhyun turned shocked eyes on him. _"You_ feel it?"

"Oh." For some reason, Kyungsoo felt like he needed a moment. To process that, not only could Baekhyun feel it, but that Baekhyun was _surprised_ he could.

Before he could say anything else, Baekhyun was metaphorically pouncing this time. "What does it feel like? Do you feel it every time? Do you feel it when you touch Jongdae too?"

"I...I...um..."

"Alright, hey." Jongdae leaned forward, letting go of Baekhyun's hand only to grab both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo's hands at once. "First of all, both of you need to breathe."

Kyungsoo nodded, but he couldn't see Baekhyun's reaction, who had turned his head to stare at Jongdae. "Dae, he can feel it."

"I know he can, babe." Jongdae gently brushed his knuckles across Baekhyun's cheek. "Neither of you are very subtle. I knew both of you felt _something_ that night. Once you touched, you never stopped." Another stroke along Baekhyun's skin. "There's something..."

"Dae..."

They were so tender with each other, gentle, like Jongdae was scared Baekhyun would break, or like the idea of being together terrified them. It was baffling, being able to see clear as day how much they were holding back, which meant the words were blurted before Kyungsoo could stop them. 

"Can you...explain why things are complicated between you two?" His eyes fell shut and he refrained from stuffing his fist in his mouth. "I just...it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to see how much you care for each other..."

A feather-light touch against his cheek made his eyelids flutter back open, and he found them both watching him, an odd mix of fondness and sadness bleeding from their expressions. It was Jongdae touching him. "Sweetheart, you can ask us anything you want. Don't worry." Kyungsoo nodded once, afraid to lose Jongdae's touch. Jongdae continued, "Baekhyun and I love each other...more than I can even fathom." Baekhyun turned to him, touching his forehead to Jongdae's cheek before resting it on Jongdae's shoulder. When Kyungsoo noticed his wet eyelashes, he curled their fingers together, letting Jongdae's hand act as a blanket for them. Security.

"I can see that," Kyungsoo murmured.

Jongdae nodded. "We've known each other since the day I was born. Two peas in a pod since the very beginning, so to speak. We have spent...god, like, every day of our lives together."

"Wow."

"Yeah." Jongdae chuckled and pulled his hands back, instead resting one along Baekhyun's jaw and kissing the top of his head. "But we have...extremely complicated families. They um, they don't really approve of us. So it's hard for us to..." He sighed. "We just have to be really careful. We can't get carried away. We can't truly be together, I guess."

"But...you _are_ together...?"

The way Jongdae's face scrunched up only told Kyungsoo that it _was_ complicated. "We're open with our affection," Jongdae decided to say. "We live together. We spend our ruts together, with Minseok and Yixing usually, too. But we're not mated. We don't really...mess around outside of our ruts. No matter how much we want to."

"It's risky," Baekhyun muttered. "We hardly see our families, but you never know when you'll run into someone. And they can smell mating bonds from a mile away so that's always been out of the question."

"So you just..."

Jongdae smiled, but it was tight, ingenuine. "We're just happy to be together in whatever way we can be."

"That sounds..."

"Complicated."

Kyungsoo was going to say _miserable,_ but he didn't particularly want to make them _feel_ miserable, so he simply agreed. "Yeah."

Jongdae's laugh matched his bitter smile. "Still wanna be here?"

Kyungsoo floundered for a split second, feeling put on the spot. "I...I'm honestly not even sure what we _are_ doing here, but...if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be."

Baekhyun squeezed his hand. "That makes three of us."

"Yeah," Jongdae said. "At least, in that way, we really are all on even ground."

Kyungsoo nodded, but he wasn't sure it was exactly true. How could he compete with a, what? A forbidden love? And if their families didn’t approve of them, what would be any different about Kyungsoo? 

He looked down at his and Baekhyun's hands. Under his breath, he asked, "What _are_ we doing here?" He knew they would hear him, regardless.

Baekhyun sat up and let go of his hand in one fell swoop, a determined turn to his brow. Just as quickly, he grabbed Kyungsoo's face in both of his hands. "Exploring," he murmured, right before pressing their mouths together.

In that soft, warm second, Kyungsoo's doubts melted away.

"Fate will handle the rest."

He nodded, heart in his throat while Baekhyun kissed his nose, his cheeks, his chin. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." _Fucking fate._

This time, when Kyungsoo locked eyes with Jongdae, he still seemed unsure, maybe even skeptical, but his smile was real. "I think our coffee and snack has gotten cold," he said. "I'll go get us fresh coffee, and we can talk about something lighter for a bit."

They nodded, and Kyungsoo wondered if maybe Jongdae just needed a minute.

Baekhyun instantly shifted, pressing against Kyungsoo’s side, nose rubbing against his neck. “You really do reek,” he muttered, sounding an awful lot like he was pouting. Kyungsoo chuckled, trying to look at him and ending up nose to nose. They sat like that for a long moment, staring, breathing, Baekhyun’s fingers trailing up and down the length of Kyungsoo’s arm.

The moment broke when the door opened again, and Baekhyun settled against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo rubbed his cheek against Baekhyun’s hair as Jongdae handed him his new cup of coffee.

“Thank you, Jongdae.”

Jongdae beamed and popped a chip into his mouth as he sat down. This time, they talked about the lighter things, as Jongdae suggested. Both of them asked Kyungsoo more questions about his work, about him spending a lot of his working time in this very cafe. Kyungsoo asked about the kids Jongdae tutored, learning that human music teachers still tended to discriminate against pups, so he'd taken it upon himself to start up a program. Then, Kyungsoo learned that Baekhyun was, surprisingly, a video game streamer for a living.

"He makes a shit ton of money doing it," Jongdae said, clearly used to defending the idea, but Kyungsoo thought it was interesting, and told them as much.

It wasn't until their cups and chip basket were empty that Jongdae leaned back against the seat and steered the conversation again. “I feel like we should also discuss Chanyeol.”

“What about him?”

“It’s just...I know you’re just friends, but your scents are so entwined. You almost smell mated to him, which is kinda bizarre. If you aren’t mated.”

Kyungsoo pulled his eyebrows together. “We’re not. We live together and...I help him with his heats, but I...he’s my best friend. Is this a problem?”

“No!” Jongdae held his hands up. “Not for us. You living together explains a lot of it. And the heats, especially. Omegas go into heat more than Alphas go into rut, so it makes sense his scent is so...thick.”

Baekhyun scrunched his nose up, and Kyungsoo fought a small smile. “Why was this worth mentioning?”

“Wolves are territorial, you’ve gotta know that.” Kyungsoo nodded. “I just don’t want to upset Chanyeol by...encroaching on his territory, so to speak.”

“Well, one, I’m not anyone’s territory.” Kyungsoo shook his head when Jongdae and Baekhyun both lurched forward to protest. “But I get it. Honestly, Chanyeol was...happy that night. That I let loose or whatever. He encouraged me to meet with you guys. That next morning he even laid there and got all sappy and explained how our scents compliment each other or whatever.”

Baekhyun leaned into him, interested. “He did?”

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo’s mouth twitched, and he pointed to Baekhyun. “Sugar.” Himself. “Spice.” Jongdae. “And everything nice.”

“Oh my god,” Jongdae burst out laughing, Baekhyun giggling behind his hand. “That’s brilliant.”

“Apparently it was their running joke that night.” Kyungsoo shyly smiled, cheeks heating right up when Baekhyun’s fingers gently slid against his on his lap. Differently than the comforting touches earlier. This was confident, interested, wanting. A part of him that he didn’t even know was screeching for that kind of contact instantly quieted.

Jongdae looked at their hands and smiled softly, fondly. “So Chanyeol’s okay with us...uh, hanging out.”

Kyungsoo propped his chin in his free hand. “Of course he is. Was that really an obstacle?”

“It was the biggest one, actually,” Baekhyun answered. “Well, mostly. Locally.” Their families, then.

Jongdae nodded. “We like Chanyeol, and recognize that he’s almost as new as you are to being around wolves. The last thing we want to do is overwhelm him or upset him.”

“I...seriously appreciate that. But really, he just wants me to be happy.”

Someone’s foot slid against his own, sending tingles up his entire leg. It had to be Jongdae, considering Baekhyun's legs didn't have much room to breathe. “Are you happy?” he asked.

Kyungsoo huffed. “That’s a loaded question.” He stared as Baekhyun’s pretty fingers slid between his. Honesty was their policy, right? “I thought I knew the answer until I met you.”

“Yeah,” Jongdae answered around a gulp. “So did we.”

Fuck. What did that even mean? "Where do we go from here?"

Jongdae blew a whistling breath through his lips. "I'd say your guess is as good as mine. But...I think Baekhyun has the right idea. About exploring." Kyungsoo and Baekhyun both nodded. "Maybe we should just...hang out...?"

Baekhyun smiled when Kyungsoo chuckled. "You sure about that?"

Sheepish, Jongdae nodded. "Yeah. We should take things slow, y'know?"

Everyone had agreed, so Kyungsoo wasn't really sure how they found themselves with high-pitched ringing in their ears from the emergency stop in the elevator of his apartment building, clothes hanging off their shoulders, and mouths swollen from the sheer aggression of their kisses. Kyungsoo grunted when Baekhyun hoisted him up against the wall, legs wrapping tightly around Baekhyun's waist, arms thrown haphazardly around his neck. Jongdae was there too, sliding Kyungsoo's fingers into his hair and encouraging him to tug. A quick peek showed Jongdae sucking a considerable bruise into the crook of Baekhyun's neck, and Kyungsoo groaned. The sound only dragged out when Baekhyun ground their hardening crotches together.

"Fuck—" he gasped, but Baekhyun's tongue was back in his mouth, stealing the air right out of his lungs. He almost choked on a hitched breath when he felt a claw against his chest, but it wasn't pressing hard enough to mark. Instead it slid down, tickling his skin and tearing through the threads holding the buttons of his shirt in place, exposing more and more of his chest.

Baekhyun quickly took advantage, dragging his open, wet mouth down the span of Kyungsoo's neck, collar, chest. He didn't stop until he was circling Kyungsoo's nipple with his tongue, and Kyungsoo moaned louder than he had yet.

"Fuck, Baekhyun. Please—" Blunt teeth tugged at the sensitive skin and he hiccuped his pleasure, as if he was drunk on it.

Baekhyun whimpered, dragging his tongue upward until their mouths clashed again. "You look so good like this," he said, panting, kissing, panting, kissing. "Pinned up." He tugged Kyungsoo's lip between his teeth. "Exposed shoulders." He clamped those same teeth down on Kyungsoo's right shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity straight to Kyungsoo's dick. 

_“Ah, yes.”_

Slowly, the teeth sharpened, pressing deeper against his skin, and god, he _was_ drunk. On Baekhyun. On whatever Baekhyun wanted to give him.

"Oh fuck!"

Kyungsoo rapidly slid down the elevator wall, handrail digging painfully into his back, front frustratingly cold. His feet were on the ground. Why were his feet on the ground?

"What the actual fuck." That was Jongdae, gasping for breath, holding Baekhyun away from Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo squinted his eyes, confused.

"I wasn't gonna..." Baekhyun was saying, voice quiet, muffled where he was kissing at Jongdae's neck, taking a familiar trail toward his chest.

"Baek, Baek, snap _out of it."_

"What is happening," Kyungsoo said.

Jongdae looked _panicked._ "We were just supposed to be walking you to your door!"

Slowly, Kyungsoo blinked. A part of him realized he wasn't properly reacting to whatever was happening right now, but there was this haze of arousal clouding over his brain, his judgment.

The first thing he really became aware of was that his shoulder was dully throbbing, which was weird. Weird. But there wasn't a bleeding wound, no crazy bruise. It took him a minute to realize what he _was_ staring at.

Tiny indentations of fangs.

"Oh. Um."

"I wasn't gonna," Baekhyun said again, more clearly this time, but he was squinting at Kyungsoo's shoulder. He met Kyungsoo's eyes. "I wasn't."

"I know," Kyungsoo said, the words instantaneous. Of course Baekhyun wasn't going to _bite him._ Kyungsoo would've been terrified.

Now Baekhyun looked at Jongdae. "I don't know why I—“

Jongdae glanced between them. "Remember when we were taking things slow like, ten minutes ago?" His high-pitched laugh was nothing if not hysterical, and he rubbed at his eyes. Kyungsoo realized it was the least composed he'd seen Jongdae thus far. "Maybe it's like...maybe his blood is still calling to you, since you had a taste. I don't know."

"A few drops?" Baekhyun asked, hushed.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know."

Bravely, maybe stupidly, Kyungsoo stepped forward, sliding his fingers between Jongdae's. "Is this where I'm supposed to tell _you_ to breathe?"

Jongdae averted his gaze to him, blinking rapidly. "What?"

"All you've done since we met is take care of others. Do you ever let anyone take care of you?"

Baekhyun pouted in his peripheral. "No."

Kyungsoo nodded. "Breathe, Jongdae. Nothing happened. I'm okay. Baekhyun's okay." Blindly, he reached for Baekhyun's hand too. Baekhyun obliged, squeezing their fingers together.

"That was just..." Jongdae shook his head.

Kyungsoo wasn't sure what to say to calm him down, so he pulled Jongdae in, wrapping one arm around his neck and hugging him tight. When Baekhyun let him go, he offered a fuller hug, and Baekhyun rounded them, kissing Jongdae's shoulder from behind. After a stiff moment, Jongdae melted between them, arms sliding tightly around Kyungsoo's waist.

"I just don't know what it is about you that does this to us," he whispered against Kyungsoo's neck.

“I don’t know, either.”

When Kyungsoo was finally dropped off at his door, he was left with two soft kisses and cautious promises to talk to him soon.

He was exhausted.

The main light in the apartment was off, which meant Chanyeol wasn’t home, so, disregarding the fact it was only seven in the evening, he shed his torn clothes and climbed into bed.

He only had more questions now than he had when the day began, but he still drifted to the lingering tingle of kisses from two different mouths.

He was ripped from a dream about Baekhyun finishing what he started what felt like five minutes after falling asleep. He groaned before even processing Chanyeol’s voice.

“Soo, come on. I know you haven’t eaten. Get up. I brought your favorite chicken from that place.”

“Wha time’s it?”

“11 or so. I dunno.”

“You better mean 11AM.”

“Sure, Soo. Come on.”

By the time Chanyeol literally dragged him into a sitting position, Kyungsoo was aware enough to know it was _not_ morning, because Chanyeol would have been at work. He grumbled to himself, gathering his bedding around his shoulders, but the misery didn’t last long once the smell of food wafted toward him. 

“You’re lucky I love you,” he muttered.

Chanyeol snorted, but he was fighting a grin. “I think I’m more lucky you love chicken. Come on—“ He tugged at Kyungsoo’s blankets, but paused, scrunching his nose. “Oh, you need to shower.”

Kyungsoo frowned, lifting his arm and sniffing his armpit. He didn’t smell _that_ bad, but he knew Chanyeol was sensitive to smells, obviously, so he only groaned in protest once before letting Chanyeol shove him into the bathroom.

“I’ll toss you some clean clothes,” Chanyeol said before darting from the room and shutting the door. “Scrub well!”

“Fuckin’ wolves.” Even now, Kyungsoo was having a difficult time keeping his eyes open. His stomach was practically roaring with hunger, but damn, he just wanted to sleep. If only because he felt like he needed to sleep more on whatever the hell had happened today with Baekhyun and Jongdae.

A herd of butterflies joined the roaring. God. He felt like he was back in middle school, crushing on the head cheerleader, Irene.

The hot water from the shower helped to ease his nerves and rubbing one out to relieve some of his tension made him feel more human again, so he did one last scrub down and turned the water off.

Once he was dry, he grabbed the shirt from the pile Chanyeol had left and immediately narrowed his eyes. He cracked the door open. “This is your shirt,” he said.

“Oh...is it?” Chanyeol laughed innocently, too innocently. Kyungsoo sighed.

They were done eating, lounging on the couch, Chanyeol wrapped comfortably around Kyungsoo, when Chanyeol said, “Soo?”

“Hmm?”

“I think...I think I really like Yixing.”

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo stroked Chanyeol’s ears. “Did you see him today?”

“Mm-hm. He picked me up from work and took me to dinner.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “You’ve gone out a lot in just a few days.”

“Not...really,” Chanyeol said. “I mean, maybe. We’ve mostly just had a couple of quick lunches because our lunch hour matches up. He’s busy with his home-visit-doctor stuff, usually.”

“Still.” Kyungsoo hummed, combing his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair now. “Why do you sound so weird about it?”

“I dunno. I just...I just decided to finally settle down, and it’s already going completely differently than it’s supposed to.” Chanyeol sighed. “I’m supposed to be with an Alpha.”

“I mean...Yeol. If you wanna get technical about things, aren’t you supposed to be with a _female_ Alpha?”

“Yeah, but I’m really fucking gay, Soo.”

“I mean, I’m aware.”

“Also.” Chanyeol sat up and rubbed a hand down his face. “That would only _really_ apply if I was Traditional. But fuck those guys.”

Kyungsoo snorted. “The homophobic, torturous fucks.”

“Right?” Chanyeol scrunched up his nose. “I guess I’ve just spent my entire life expecting to end up with an Alpha to take care of my pathetic Omega needs.”

Kyungsoo assumed Chanyeol was talking about his heats, but he still lunged forward in defense anyway. “Nothing about you is pathetic, Yeol.”

Chanyeol pouted. “Thanks, Soo. I just...heats are supposed to be easier with an Alpha. Shorter. Omegas are supposed to have deeper connections with Alphas, too. Like our brains or auras just click.”

“I think you can find that with anyone, Yeol. As long as they’re the right person.” He shoved the two images floating to the front of his mind right back into their compartment. “You’ve never been a conventional wolf, y’know. Why start now? If Yixing makes you happy right now, just go with it.”

For a long moment, Chanyeol only chewed on his lip, pondering. Then, he smiled, crawling back onto Kyungsoo and plopping down. “You’re a sap, too, you know.”

Kyungsoo scoffed. “Am not.”

“Are too. A wise, ol’ sap.”

“Shut up.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, though. Really.” Chanyeol sighed. “I feel a lot better.”

“Good.”

Kyungsoo only sighed when Chanyeol climbed into his bed with him later, and waited until Chanyeol was almost asleep to say, “I know what you’re doing.”

“Huh?”

“Getting rid of their scents.”

“...huh…?”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, idiot.”


	3. Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo's relationship with the Alphas progresses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 5.9k

Over the next two weeks, Kyungsoo went on a few more—mild—dates with Baekhyun and Jongdae. It was always somewhere public, and they always parted ways there at Jongdae’s insistence. 

He was clearly still on edge about the elevator. Which they didn’t talk about.

Regardless of the avoidance, their inexplicable closeness didn’t fade. Baekhyun touched him every chance he had, and Jongdae was particularly fond of sweet, gentle kisses.

Kyungsoo liked them a lot.

Enough, at least, that Chanyeol finally relented in his steadfast rule that Kyungsoo couldn’t go to two Alphas’ apartment alone. He loved Kyungsoo too much to keep making him frequently go  _ out _ on dates, but was still too prideful to let the Alphas come to  _ their _ apartment just yet.

_ “I trust them,” _ Chanyeol had insisted.  _ “They went out of their way to protect you that first night—” _

_ “And you.” _

_ “It’s just hard! My wolf doesn’t want you in their house but like, I know it would be fine? I know you’d rather have nights in too—ugh. Just. Plan to go, okay? I’ll battle it out with my instincts until then.”  _

Kyungsoo wasn’t nervous until he was at Baekhyun and Jongdae’s door. It suddenly felt like a much bigger event than it really was, when they were going to watch a movie, for crying out loud, maybe two. Jongdae would cook them dinner while Baekhyun finished up a stream. It would be  _ normal. _ Mundane, even.

Huffing, he finally made himself knock, and startled when it immediately opened.

“Uh, hi,” Jongdae said, sheepish.

Kyungsoo quirked a brow. “You heard me coming?” Jongdae nodded. “Have you been standing there the entire time I’ve been standing here?”

Nervous laughter was followed by a grand gesture for Kyungsoo to enter the apartment. “Okay, yeah,” Jongdae caved, pouting at him as he shut the door. “I just got a little excited! And then you didn’t knock.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “I guess I got nervous.”

Right away, Jongdae’s pout was replaced with concern. “Kyungsoo, should we postpone? Really, we’d underst—”

“No, no.” Kyungsoo waved his hands in front of him, and when he let them fall, Jongdae caught them, entwining their fingers. “I stopped for so long because I don’t know  _ why _ I’m nervous, that’s all. I promise.”

Jongdae scrutinized him for another moment before nodding. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Promise.”

Jongdae smiled. “C’mere.” He gently pecked Kyungsoo’s lips, then pulled him into a tight, warm hug, holding him until they began rocking back and forth. “I’m glad you’re here, Kyungsoo.”

“Me too.” Kyungsoo chewed on his lip. “Can I help with anything? Whatever you’re making smells amazing.”

“Nah, it’s not much. Besides! You’re our guest.” Jongdae pulled back to blind Kyungsoo with his smile. “I’ll give you a quick tour, and then you can go sit with Baek if you want.”

Kyungsoo frowned. “Isn’t he streaming? I don’t want to disturb him.”

“Ah, you won’t! He loves having company in there, when the company is quiet.” Jongdae grinned. “So not me. Yixing sits with him a lot, if he’s not working.”

Kyungsoo laughed and scrunched his nose. “Alright, if it’s really okay.”

Jongdae led him farther into the apartment, a hand on Kyungsoo’s waist. “I would never lie to you, babe.”

The tour was quick, as Jongdae said, the apartment modest overall. It was a three bedroom, which struck Kyungsoo kind of odd, but when one was Baekhyun’s studio, one was well-lived in, and one looked like no one ever went inside despite it looking like  _ someone’s _ bedroom, Kyungsoo wondered if they had to pretend to sleep in separate rooms because of their disapproving families. He didn’t ask, but he didn’t think he was far off-base.

The whole space was small, but cozy, maybe a little bland. There weren’t many decorations, as if Baekhyun and Jongdae were only borrowing the place rather than living in it. The only notable thing was the blurry polaroid of the two posted to the refrigerator, cheeks pressed together and laughing. The sight made Kyungsoo’s heart beat a little faster, which inevitably drew Jongdae’s attention.

“That’s from our last vacation. We went to Hawaii with Yixing and Minseok. It’s the only picture we got from the camera before Baek broke it.”

“Oh no.”

Jongdae chuckled. “He was devastated, but…” He sighed, stroking the photo with a single finger. “I feel like it was worth it, even if all we got was this.”

Kyungsoo smiled at him. “I can see that.”

_ “Anyway.” _ Jongdae patted Kyungsoo’s butt. “Let me finish up here.” He checked the time on the stove. “Baek’s stream should be done in like, ten minutes, actually, so don’t feel awkward, okay? I know he’s ready to see you.”

Kyungsoo wandered that way, easing into the room and beelining for the couch against the wall to Baekhyun’s left. Baekhyun grinned and waved at him, and Kyungsoo’s heart did that stupid thudding thing again as he waved back.

Baekhyun was, indeed, finished in about ten minutes, but it flew by. It was fascinating, watching Baekhyun clearly in his element, loud and whiny and funny, competitive even when he was losing. Kyungsoo was also endeared as Baekhyun genuinely thanked everyone for watching, and listed off his usual stream times.

Then, Kyungsoo watched as Baekhyun stood from his desk and sauntered over to the couch, gently settling himself on Kyungsoo’s lap and stealing a kiss. He mimicked picking Kyungsoo’s jaw off the floor, kissing him again before murmuring, “Careful, Kyungsoo. I think you’re growing fond of me.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, chasing after Baekhyun’s lips with a quiet desperation. “Was there ever a doubt I would?”

The rest of the night went surprisingly smoothly, considering their apprehension to be anywhere but in public before. There was quite a bit of kissing during dull movie scenes, a little heavy petting, but otherwise everyone was on their best behavior.

It gave them the courage to progress, and apartment dates became a regular occurrence. Kyungsoo preferred it regardless, but Baekhyun and Jongdae also seemed so much more comfortable at home than on their public dates. Kyungsoo’s feelings only grew, and grew despite recognizing the elephant in the room at all times. What were they  _ really _ doing? Why bother dating Kyungsoo when Baekhyun and Jongdae weren’t even allowed to date each other?

Yet Kyungsoo couldn’t tear himself away.

It was weird, to have gone from  _ relationships are useless and I don’t need them _ to  _ please, please date me some more _ at the flip of a switch, but Kyungsoo figured embracing it was the only way forward. He still had Seulgi’s voice in his head telling him to try something new.

Of course, every time he got home from a date, Chanyeol was there to shove him into the shower and re-scent him. Kyungsoo, in the end, didn’t know what he had really gotten himself into.

Chanyeol freed him from a scenting session sometime early one morning a few weeks later, before daylight, which meant Kyungsoo spent the rest of the morning towards noon finishing up an article on his laptop.

He felt about three-quarters of the way dead by the end, which was, of course, when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

**jongdae:** _ Hey, are you free? _ _   
_ **jongdae:** _ Baek went shopping with Yixing, and I thought we could hang out, maybe~ _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ not sure what kind of company i’d be tbh _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ was up all night writing and haven’t slept at all _   
**jongdae:** _ Aw, sweetheart. If you wanna get some sleep, that’s totally fine! You’re also welcome to come snooze over here with me :) _ _   
_ **jongdae:** _ Was that weird? That felt weird to say as soon as I hit send lol _ _   
_ **jongdae:** _ I just meant I’m not up for doing much either. Just wanna see you. _

Kyungsoo laughed. 

**kyungsoo:** _ well when you put it that way… _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ be there in 20. _

His phone immediately pinged in response with a happy emoji.

**kyungsoo:** _ lol should i bring anything? _ _   
_ **jongdae:** _ Just your cute self and your comfy clothes, baby. _

Twenty minutes later, on the dot, Kyungsoo was knocking on Jongdae’s door. Jongdae was already grinning when he opened it. “Hey there, handsome.”

Kyungsoo shook his head at his feet. “Hey yourself.”

“C’mere.” Kyungsoo wasn’t given an option, of course, tugged into Jongdae’s arms and wrapped up until he was warm enough to last through winter. “Hi, babe,” Jongdae murmured into his neck,  _ clearly  _ inhaling his scent even though he tried to act like he was above such a thing.

“Hey, Dae.”

They rocked a little bit, right there in the doorway, until Kyungsoo was almost certain Jongdae was trying to coax him to sleep. But he pulled away eventually, letting Kyungsoo all the way in and shutting and locking the door behind him.

“Do you want anything to drink? Eat?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Truly just want to lie down.”

“Movie?”

Kyungsoo smiled, letting Jongdae tuck him under his arm. “Sure.”

They practically buried themselves in bed, on the soft, soft mattress and beneath even softer blankets. It felt like heaven for Kyungsoo’s exhausted limbs. He curled up right next to Jongdae while Jongdae scrolled through his and Baekhyun’s queue for something to watch.

“Any preferences?” Jongdae asked, snuggling a little closer. He buried his nose in Kyungsoo’s hair.

“Normally, yes. But I trust your judgment.” Kyungsoo’s eyes fell shut as he slid his hand onto Jongdae’s stomach. “Baekhyun’s, maybe not.”

Jongdae laughed. “Valid. Baekhyun loves really cheesy dramas. They make me wanna rip my hair out, but they make him happy, so.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “I can imagine how invested he probably gets.”

“God, so invested. I’ve seen him burst into tears over the weirdest moments in those shows. He’s a sap.”

“Mm. Well, luckily I have plenty of experience with saps thanks to Chanyeol, so I’m prepared.”

Jongdae hummed, a happy sound, and apparently chose something to play because he sank further into the bed, turning into Kyungsoo’s space. He kissed Kyungsoo’s forehead. “You don’t know how happy it makes me—“ Another kiss. “—that I haven’t had to defend him once since we met.”

Kyungsoo frowned, still with his eyes closed but leaning into the slow trail of face kisses. “You have to defend him at all?”

“He gets a lot of shit. Mostly from asshole Alphas, because he’s an Alpha that wears his ears and tail. But I mean, even when we try to make new friends, it feels like Baek always becomes the target of shitty jokes.”

“I don’t like any of those asshats. All idiots.”

The next kiss was on the corner of his mouth. “That’s why you’re the best, baby.”

Kyungsoo hummed, which was apparently deemed an invite to finally kiss him on the lips. He may have been just on the verge of sleep, but he had enough energy for this. Always for this.

He trailed his hand up from where it rested on Jongdae's belly, slow, an uncaring edge to it until his fingers were tangled deep in Jongdae's hair in time with Jongdae's tongue sliding between his lips. A happy accident.

Kyungsoo never opened his eyes, trusting Jongdae's judgment again, trusting when Jongdae rolled closer and tangled their legs, when his hand slid beneath Kyungsoo's shirt, warm against his skin. He trusted that when he lazily clamped his teeth, it would catch Jongdae's lip, that when he tugged it would make Jongdae whimper under his breath. Kyungsoo sighed, and trusted that Jongdae, selfless, warm,  _ warm _ Jongdae would only ever take care of him.

"Are you sleep-kissing?" Jongdae's low voice murmured against the skin of his cheek, and edge of amusement to it before he left warm kisses in his wake, working toward Kyungsoo's neck.

"No," Kyungsoo muttered, and laughed without opening his mouth. Jongdae smiled against his neck. "I'm here."

Jongdae nodded, just barely gliding his tongue along the line of Kyungsoo's throat and making him sigh. He spent a while there, kissing, licking, bruising, and Kyungsoo nearly fell asleep completely to it amidst his pleased sighs.

"I'm glad," Jongdae was suddenly saying right against his lips.

For the first time since he'd laid down, Kyungsoo sluggishly blinked his eyes open. All he could see was Jongdae's long eyelashes fluttering before they kissed. "Glad?"

"That you're here."

Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.

"Me too."

Kyungsoo didn't know when he finally dozed off, only that he woke up some hours later to a third body climbing into the bed and sandwiching him in. That his skin felt so relieved, he could only lace his fingers with Baekhyun's and fall right back into slumber.

"Chanyeol, I swear to fucking fuck—" Kyungsoo tried, but there was only so much he could do against werewolf strength shoving him straight from the front door of the apartment and into the shower. "I need to at least undress first!" Chanyeol only grunted, helping him take his shirt off. "Oh, are you tired, Yeol? Me too. It's barely even dawn, I swear—"

"Didn't sleep much," was Chanyeol's short answer.

Kyungsoo paused. He grasped at Chanyeol's hands to try and make him stop too. It only half-worked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Chanyeol broke free of his grip and tried to slide Kyungsoo's sweatpants down. "Got in late."

"Date with Yixing?"

"Mm-hm."

"It didn't go well?"

Chanyeol squinted at Kyungsoo's bottom half. "It went great."

"Then why won't you look me in the face?"

Chanyeol's eyes flicked up for a short second, then he was tugging at Kyungsoo's boxers. "Was worried."

"About me?"

Chanyeol grunted.

"Oh." Kyungsoo processed. "Oh, Yeol. I'm sorry. I didn't—I literally slept for like fifteen hours straight."

"With them."

"Well yeah."

"It's fine. Jongdae texted me to let me know."

"Oh." Kyungsoo breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Then...wait. Why are you still..."

"I just got all worked up. It's fine."

"Yeol." Instead of going for the hands, Kyungsoo grabbed Chanyeol's face. "Hey." Chanyeol finally looked at him. "I'm sorry. Really. I'm not even exaggerating when I say Jongdae invited me over and I climbed in his bed and fell asleep. But it was stupid of me not to let you know. I know it still freaks you out that I've started going over to their apartment by myself."

Chanyeol scrunched his entire face. "I know they're good. I know that. But my wolf has a hard time not being so protective."

"I know." Kyungsoo stroked Chanyeol's cheeks with his thumbs. "It's okay. And I really am sorry."

"I know. And you don't even have to be sorry. It's not like I texted you that I'd be out late with Yixing, I just..."

Kyungsoo nodded, pulling Chanyeol down so he could knock their foreheads together. "I know," he repeated. "We're both new to all this. You're still my favorite, though."

He saw Chanyeol's eyes widen, so close to his own. "Don't tell the Alphas that."

Kyungsoo laughed. "I don't have to. They know, too."

Chanyeol melted against him. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

"You still have to take a shower."

"Oh my god."

"Get naked."

"Chanyeol, I swear—"

Kyungsoo's protests were futile. Chanyeol was so determined to rid him of the Alphas' scents that he was late for work.

The next couple of days seemed to keep everyone busy. Chanyeol on the fast-track to falling head over heels for Yixing's quiet charms around their work hours. Jongdae helping Minseok move apartments. Baekhyun doing a 24-hour charity stream and then passing out for another day. Even Kyungsoo picked up a couple of extra assignments for the extra cash, since he'd been eating out so much more with the wolves.

He'd just packed up his stuff at the cafe and walked out, frowning at his phone as he ignored the current call from  _ Seungsoo _ when he heard his name from somewhere behind him. He turned in surprise and watched Baekhyun's face split into the brightest grin.

Something settled in Kyungsoo's chest, and he didn't even think as he set his messenger bag on the ground next to him and pocketed his phone, just in time for Baekhyun to crash into him, limbs winding around each other in a way that suggested they were too well-practiced for how short a time they'd known each other.

"Kyungsoo," Baekhyun breathed like a prayer.

Kyungsoo buried his face in Baekhyun's neck, having learned the value of such an act of affection, how nice it felt. Even if he couldn't smell Baekhyun's sweet scent, he still smelled nice to Kyungsoo. Comforting. 

"Hi," he said.

Baekhyun pulled back and Kyungsoo's stomach dropped when he saw the scrunched nose. "Baekhyun..." he warned, but Baekhyun shook his head, grabbing Kyungsoo's bag from the ground in one hand, and Kyungsoo's hand with his other.

He dragged him straight to the nearest alley, past the smelly dumpster. He dropped all their belongings and pressed Kyungsoo into the wall. "Just one minute," Baekhyun said. "I promise. I just need..."

Kyungsoo sighed. "Baekhyun."

But his lips were already dragging along Kyungsoo's neck, dampening his skin with his breath. "It happens so fast. Chanyeol's scent. I don't understand..."

"He does it on purpose," Kyungsoo blurted. A part of him could appreciate all the cuddling and kissing, but  _ fuck, _ he was wearing scarves in summer to hide all the hickies he left every date with, and Chanyeol was spending so much time in his bed, he was deluding himself into thinking it was starting to smell like chocolate. He didn't want to cause any problems between Chanyeol and two Alphas, but if they were pissed he would just have to tell them off. For  _ fuck's sake. _

Baekhyun stopped everything he was doing to stare at Kyungsoo with a full expression of shock, jaw dropped and everything. "He's  _ what?" _

Kyungsoo sighed. "I don't know. He knows he's being ridiculous but it's like he can't stop himself from doing it. He makes me shower as soon as I walk in the door every time I come home from seeing you guys. I've never been so clean in my life."

He watched, mostly in fascination, as Baekhyun's irises bled red. God, was he actually angry?

"Baekhyun, don't be mad at him—"

"I'm not." But he was taking a deep breath, which seemed pretty— "Kyungsoo."

"What?"

"I need to kiss you now."

"Wh--"

Baekhyun surged forward and Kyungsoo fell, fell right into his embrace, into his affection, his heat. His annoyance melted into desire, Baekhyun's fingers beneath his shirt like dripping wax on his skin. His lips were the flame, prying Kyungsoo's mouth open with whiny little sighs, tongues burning as they collided.

The world fell away around them, irrelevant when their passion burned so brightly between them. His scarf was tugged from his neck and discarded, his shirt unbuttoned while his hands grasped at Baekhyun's rounded ass.

_ "Baekhyun." _

_ "My Kyungsoo." _

Kyungsoo's moan filled the void around them when Baekhyun's thigh slid between his legs, pressing, pressing until Kyungsoo's cock throbbed with desperate want. Fingers flicked at his nipples and blunt teeth sank into his neck. Kyungsoo felt hot all over, fingernails scratching down Baekhyun's scalp as arousal coursed through him, blood rushing south so quickly he was lightheaded with it. He chanted Baekhyun's name, an endless stream of begging, until the warm summer air he was gasping in was replaced again with Baekhyun's mouth.

"You'll draw every wolf in a—" His tongue lapped at Kyungsoo's top lip. "—five-mile radius. No idea how delectable you smell  _ all the time." _ Teeth scraped along his jaw. "How good you sound like this, when you don't care. How good you look." He sucked Kyungsoo's earlobe into his mouth. "Mine. Mine. Ours. Chanyeol needs to learn how to share."

"He— _ oh _ —he does—"

_ "Mine." _

Kyungsoo was fully hard against Baekhyun's thigh now, with no doubt Baekhyun could feel it pressing into him. He rocked forward, slowly unraveling Kyungsoo with such subtle movements, pushing him toward an inevitable release.  _ "Yours," _ he cried. "Baekhyun,  _ please." _

"Need you—"

Baekhyun’s voice broke off roughly, and just as suddenly as every inch of Kyungsoo was on fire, he was doused in a bucket of ice. Baekhyun was several feet away from him.

"No," Kyungsoo said. "Baekhyun, we have to—" He paused. Have to  _ what? _

Baekhyun shook his head at the ground, heaving for breath. "We have to stop. We have to stop. I can't—"

And then he was gone. Running through the alley at a speed Kyungsoo couldn't even pretend to be able to match. He left his bag, too, right next to Kyungsoo's.

He'd seen the flash of teeth, the red. Baekhyun had almost lost control again.

Kyungsoo still wanted to scream.

He was in the shower half an hour later, staring angrily at the wall when he asked, "What will it take to get you to stop freaking out like this, Yeol?"

"I don't know," he answered, sounding rather miserable. Well, that made two of them. "I'm worried my wolf won't shut up until one of them claim you, but I don't even know if humans can take the bite or how that would work since you can't bite back and—"

"Okay. I get it." Kyungsoo sighed. He was in an impossible situation.

He waited until the next day to show up on Baekhyun and Jongdae's doorstep when he knew they'd both be home. He had Baekhyun's bag in hand as an excuse, but his mind was on another plane of existence altogether, heart pounding as he waited for them to open the door.

Luckily, it was Baekhyun who answered.

"Don't look so surprised," Kyungsoo drawled. "You should've smelled or heard me coming or whatever." He tossed Baekhyun's bag inside the door and slipped through the crack between Baekhyun and the doorway.

"Kyungsoo!" Jongdae exclaimed. His smile was genuine, but Kyungsoo could see the strain. The worry. Clearly, Baekhyun had told him what happened.

Good. No one needed to be brought up to speed.

Kyungsoo rounded on Baekhyun, who had just shut the door. He pressed him into it. “Don’t do that again,” he said, ignoring the warning sirens screeching in his head because he shouldn’t take such authority with two Alphas. But he was on a mission. He couldn’t stop, hooded eyes drooping further as he pressed a hand into Baekhyun’s chest. “Don’t leave me in a dark alley wanting more.”

Baekhyun seemed surprised, at Kyungsoo’s boldness maybe, but it was clear Baekhyun could feel what Kyungsoo was feeling. The want. The need. His eyes were already bleeding red with it. His mouth was already parted in invitation. The guilt dissipated. Kyungsoo pressed their bodies together, every inch he could manage, and relished in the way Baekhyun mindlessly chased his mouth when he leaned back to grab Jongdae by the shirt and yanked him closer too, closing himself in. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongdae whispered against his neck. It was questioning, unsure, but god, even if Kyungsoo didn’t know anything else he wanted out of life, he knew he wanted  _ this.  _ Them. Even if he couldn’t explain it. The draw. The need.

He entwined his fingers tightly in Baekhyun’s soft hair. “Finish what you started in that alley, Baekhyun. We’ll get through the control stuff together. The three of us.”

A flash of bright red was all Kyungsoo saw as Baekhyun lurched forward and claimed Kyungsoo’s mouth as his own. There were instantly fangs poking at his lips, but Kyungsoo didn’t have it in him to care. Not with Baekhyun’s tongue sliding against his, not with Jongdae’s wandering hands, not with Baekhyun’s thigh pressing between his legs, just like he’d left Kyungsoo before.

“Good,” he tried to say, but it was caught in the wind of a moan as Jongdae pressed him closer to Baekhyun, grinding him up Baekhyun’s thigh just as a human mouth was kissing him much more thoroughly than before. Kyungsoo dissolved into Baekhyun, holding on for dear life, balancing on his tip-toes as Jongdae gently ground their hips together. “More,” he breathed, because that’s what he needed above all else. More. All of it. Everything.

“Bed,” Jongdae growled. “Goddamn it, you two. There’s so much shit we need to talk about—“ But he’d backed up enough to give Kyungsoo room to turn around, so he did, capturing Jongdae’s mouth in an instantly filthy kiss, shivering when Baekhyun’s hands slid around his waist and unbuttoned his pants. He wiggled his hips until the pants were around his ankles, and moaned directly into Jongdae’s mouth when Baekhyun’s hand cupped him through his boxers.

“We can multitask,” Baekhyun murmured before pulling Kyungsoo’s ear between his teeth. Fuck.

Jongdae groaned the second he got a good look at everything Baekhyun was doing. “You’re shit at multitasking and you know it.”

Baekhyun pressed his smile into Kyungsoo’s neck, and then licked a stripe up to his ear. Kyungsoo’s entire body shuddered in response.

“Clothes,” he said, unsure how to string together sentences. “...Off.”

Jongdae snorted. “And  _ we’re _ supposed to be the animals.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, stepping out of his pants and away from Baekhyun only to push Jongdae in the direction he hoped the bedroom was in. “We’re all animals here.”

“Fuck, you are like, the hottest human in existence—“

With Baekhyun helping expedite the process, they left a trail of clothes in their wake, until finally, Jongdae was the one dragging Kyungsoo by the hand into the bedroom, pushing him into the bed, climbing on top of him. Baekhyun was grinning from ear to ear as he climbed in after them.

Jongdae pinned Kyungsoo’s arms above his head, hitching his breath in the process. 

“Neither of us are fucking you tonight,” Jongdae said, and Kyungsoo saw Baekhyun’s smile drop right from his mouth. “I’m pretty sure I can control my knot, but I really don’t think Baekhyun will be able to, after everything, and humans aren’t made to take knots.”

“Just let me try—“

Jongdae shook his head. “Maybe eventually. But not our first time.” Kyungsoo couldn’t deny the way his heart swelled a little bit at Jongdae calling it  _ our first time. _ God, maybe Chanyeol was right. Kyungsoo  _ was  _ a sap. “However. Anything else goes. But I do have to ask if you’re okay with a bit of, um...come play?”

“What.”

“It’s like the scenting we normally do, but amplified. It’ll last longer, so hopefully Chanyeol’s wolf will stop fighting us, and hopefully another run-in with Baekhyun won’t leave you hot and bothered in an alley because he can’t control himself.” Baekhyun whined.

“So…”

“We’d both come  _ on  _ you.”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “Yeah, that’s fine. You made it sound all ominous.”

Baekhyun’s grin was back. “Best human.”

Kyungsoo bit back the force of his own grin. Chanyeol also might have been onto something with the praise thing. “So…” he said after a short moment. “You gonna let me up, Jongdae?”

Jongdae didn’t, in fact, sinking down until they were nose to nose with a smirk. “I don’t know, Kyungsoo. I have it on good authority that you liked it when I pinned you down.”

“Oh yeah?” Kyungsoo challenged, despite the heat rushing to his face.

Jongdae’s grin widened. “Yeah. No secrets among wolves.”

Kyungsoo was somehow okay with that. Though maybe he was influenced by the hungry way Jongdae kissed him directly after.

Everything was immediately a blur of tangled limbs and hot mouths, heaving breaths and hungry hands. Kyungsoo was effectively double-teamed, pinned and completely immobile, theirs for the taking. He craved it, craved Jongdae’s lips on his neck, his hand on his ass, craved Baekhyun’s tongue in his mouth, his fingers around his cock. Oh, what fucking wonderful fingers they were.

Jongdae eventually freed his wrists, providing him the opportunity to give back as best as he could. Immediately, he sank his fingers into Jongdae’s hair, remembering the moment in the elevator Jongdae had encouraged him to tug it. Jongdae bit down a little harder in response, where he was working at Kyungsoo’s neck and they both groaned.

Just as Kyungsoo got his other hand around Baekhyun’s cock, making him gasp, Jongdae plopped a bottle onto his chest. Lube. Jongdae’s eyes were hooded, the barest hints of red speckling his irises as they flicked back and forth between Kyungsoo’s eyes and mouth. “Fuck me?” he asked, voice at least an octave lower than usual and stoking the flame of pleasure in Kyungsoo’s gut.

“Fuck. Okay.” He shakily grabbed the lube, arching when Baekhyun’s thumb slowly rubbed over the head of his dick. “Aren’t Alphas like— _ ah _ —protective of their—asses or something…?” He somehow managed to flip Baekhyun over, pressing his weight into him, a wrist to the bed.  _ “Behave,” _ he muttered without thinking, but  _ fuck, _ Baekhyun’s hand felt like goddamn magic on a normal day, but especially like this. He almost apologized when Baekhyun’s eyes quickly flashed a bright red, a warning he thought. But Kyungsoo noticed the blush rising on Baekhyun’s cheeks, and peered down to see pre-come leaking onto Baekhyun’s belly, so really, Kyungsoo was pretty sure he discovered a kink, more than anything.

Jongdae bit his lip as he whispered, “We like it.” Kyungsoo groaned.

Just for the sake of being a little sexually torturous, Kyungsoo didn’t move from where he was straddling Baekhyun. Instead, he beckoned Jongdae closer until Jongdae turned over onto his hands and knees, ass bared for Kyungsoo’s viewing and touching pleasure.

Kyungsoo was a possessed man from that point on. Everything he did was fueled by pure, unadulterated desire, lust and affection coursing through him with every finger he pressed into Jongdae, and every stroke he offered Baekhyun’s cock. They both writhed beneath him, beneath every touch and kiss he gave them. He was five seconds from some kind of warped power-trip until suddenly, they shifted, Jongdae begging for Kyungsoo’s cock, Kyungsoo climbing behind him and obliging. Baekhyun followed too, popping the cap on the lube and urging Kyungsoo’s thighs a little closer together before sliding his dick between them, softly crying out like it was the best thing he’d ever felt.

They worked like that for what simultaneously felt like an eternity and not that long at all. Kyungsoo was on fire, in another dimension, vibrating with the threat of orgasm but he’d be  _ damned _ if he gave up Jongdae’s perfect, tight ass so soon.

He didn’t have much of a choice, however, especially with Baekhyun’s cock strategically sliding against his balls every so often— _ fuck. _ “Jongdae, Baekhyun, I’m—”

“Come on, baby. Come. Give it to me— _ oh—right there.” _

Kyungsoo focused his thrusts where Jongdae wanted them, his pace frantic at best as he chased his orgasm with Baekhyun now pressed flush against him, tongue against his neck.

He was vaguely aware of claws digging into his skin just before he came, the wave of pleasure washing everything else away. Then he was on the bed, on his back, fusing with the sheets, the mattress, soaring in the afterglow. Dear  _ god, _ he had been missing out.

“Baekhyunnie, control it,” Jongdae muttered from where his mouth was gliding down Kyungsoo’s chest. 

Kyungsoo blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus properly. Jongdae was reaching over while still tending to Kyungsoo, hand grasping Baekhyun’s. Oh. Baekhyun was holding his knees against his chest, panting through fangs, red eyes penetrating the dimness of the room. The hand in Jongdae’s had claws, but Kyungsoo watched them slowly retract as Baekhyun’s breathing evened out.

“Good,” Jongdae said. “There you go, baby. Show us how strong you are.” Baekhyun whimpered, but sat up a little straighter. He wouldn’t look at them, but Jongdae didn’t stop coaxing him. “Let us take care of you, Baek.” He tugged until Baekhyun scooted closer. “Come for us, baby.”

That earned a small moan, and Baekhyun crawled forward on his own now, eyes still red, but fangs disappearing. “C’mere, Baek,” Kyungsoo managed, reaching for him with his jelly-filled arm until his fingers sank into the hair at the back of Baekhyun’s head. Kyungsoo dragged him down into a kiss, all soft pulling and gentle tongue, until Baekhyun finally relaxed again.

“Good,” Jongdae murmured, easing upward and sighing wantonly when Kyungsoo wrapped his hands around both of their cocks.

Despite the hiccup, it didn’t take very long.

Jongdae came first, hand resting over Kyungsoo’s and directing the come to land on Kyungsoo’s stomach. Baekhyun’s following release felt a little more possessive, his aim covering Kyungsoo’s stomach, chest, and neck in uneven stripes.

He could only watch, weirdly relaxed as the Alphas did their thing, both with red eyes shining, trailing their fingers through their come, spreading it further, almost rubbing it into Kyungsoo’s skin. He figured in retrospect, it might seem a little gross, but now there was only the calming touch of their hands, and the tiny, quiet thrill of them wanting him to smell like them  _ this _ badly.

After that, they licked everything up.

Kyungsoo couldn’t stop the gentle moans as they did, hands in their hair, skin tingling. He was half-hard again by the end, but had no interest in another round. At least not until he’d had a nap or something.

He hummed in question when Baekhyun kissed his cheek, once, twice, but only because Jongdae was at Kyungsoo’s hips now, licking each side. It actually  _ stung _ a little.

“My claws,” Baekhyun whispered, clearly embarrassed. Kyungsoo caressed his cheek. “I guess I broke skin before I pulled away. I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo was already shaking his head, but Jongdae jumped in as well. “I’m just helping the marks heal, sweetheart. He didn’t bleed at all.”

“Yeah, hey.” Kyungsoo tapped Baekhyun’s cheek. “I didn’t even realize it, Baekhyun. I’m okay.” At Baekhyun’s pout, Kyungsoo chuckled. “Come here.”

They kissed, soft, chaste pecks while Jongdae continued licking Kyungsoo’s hips.

“You can make a dog joke about licking wounds any minute now,” Jongdae lazily murmured when he was done. Kyungsoo looked down to see his lips quirking up in amusement.

But just an ounce of the afterglow dissipated, Kyungsoo staring at the ceiling as he said, “I don’t make dog jokes about werewolves.”

A heavy silence fell for a short moment, and he hated himself a little bit for turning such a peaceful moment stifling. Baekhyun was soon back in his field of vision, though, concern billowing from his expression. “That’s awfully kind of you, baby, but…” His eyes implored while Jongdae’s hands soothed, but Kyungsoo shook his head. He just wanted to rewind and go back to feeling floaty and limbless and well-loved.

“Can we talk about it some other time?” he asked. “I’d really just like you both to kiss me right now.”

Baekhyun searched his face, eyes flicking all over until he reluctantly nodded, a tentative smile on his lips. “I think that can be arranged.” He hummed as he leaned in, shivering when Kyungsoo gently stroked his tail as they slowly picked each other apart all over again.

When Jongdae took Baekhyun’s place, Kyungsoo had effectively been melted back into the bed, putty in their hands, squirming under Baekhyun’s determined tongue, cleaning any remaining drops of come from his abdomen.

They slowly began to doze off just like that, lazy kisses fading into mumbles of affection. Jongdae settled against Kyungsoo’s shoulder, Baekhyun’s head against Kyungsoo’s stomach. It was warm, and satisfying, and overall something Kyungsoo never knew he needed.

He finally fell asleep, but not before the daunting realization that Baekhyun and Jongdae had hardly touched each other the entire night.

Chanyeol was waiting for him the next morning, but a single sniff turned him disgruntled. “Gah. Ugh. Fine. They win.”


	4. Willing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo learns more about human/werewolf relationships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 2.2k

"Do you want to ask me about it?"

Chanyeol huffed. "No."

"You don't sound so sure." The pan in front of Kyungsoo sizzled when he flipped the grilled sandwiches he was making them.

"It's just—" Chanyeol whined. There it was. He'd been so annoyed that Baekhyun and Jongdae had claimed Kyungsoo in the most basic way—via sex—initially that he'd spent the rest of the morning pretending to not be curious, to not be Chanyeol, basically. "Are you guys like, official now? Since you...?"

"Had sex?"

Chanyeol scoffed.

"I don't think sex magically makes things official. It's 2019." Kyungsoo stared at the lines of his sandwich, suddenly unsure. Did it?

Chanyeol's voice was much gentler than before when he asked, "You guys didn't talk about it?"

Kyungsoo shook his head. "There's still so much I don't know."

"About what?"

"Uh, everything? Them? Me? How to be in a relationship? If being in a relationship with werewolves is even worth pursuing? No offense."

Chanyeol moved next to him, probably making sure Kyungsoo could see his frown. "Yeah, that's a lot, bub." God, Kyungsoo had a love/hate relationship with that nickname. "It's honestly weird to think about, like, how a human/wolf relationship would work. Or if it can. You don't hear much about it, which is the weird part."

"Is it really so rare?" Kyungsoo lifted their sandwiches from the pan one by one before they burned, sliding them onto the plates ready and waiting.

Chanyeol shrugged, moving to the fridge to grab drinks. "I just...don't hear about it. Or read about it." Chanyeol opened the fridge door and paused. "Y'know, this could be debated all day, but _we_ live together."

"Yeah, true." People always looked at them funny, curious at best, when they found out they, a human and werewolf lived together. God forbid they found out Kyungsoo usually helped out with Chanyeol's heats. "It's not so different, right?"

Chanyeol beamed, unpausing to finally grab their drinks. "Right. But I mean, I guess it is really different with Alphas. Their instincts are so..."

"Much?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Baekhyun's almost bitten me like, twice."

A soda can loudly clattered its way out of the fridge and onto the floor. _"What?!"_

Kyungsoo froze. Damn. "Uh, yeah. He didn't though. All good."

"Kyungsoo, what the _fuck? Why didn't you tell me?"_

Sighing, Kyungsoo turned the burner on the grill off. "Because I knew you'd freak out just like this."

"Is he crazy?!"

The can was still on the floor, so Kyungsoo picked it up to busy his hands. "No. He's just been having some trouble. It's fine. He didn't try to bite me once last night. Uh, mostly."

"Kyungsoo, I don't think you—" Chanyeol shut the fridge, leaning heavily against it. "Soo, Alphas don't just—they don't just have the urge to bite people randomly, that's—"

Slowly, Kyungsoo set the dented soda on the counter. "What are you implying?"

"Maybe Baekhyun gets attached easily?" he squeaked, but he didn't look so sure. "Bites are only for mating."

"I know that."

"Wolves _never_ take mating bites lightly. Especially Alphas. They mate for life, Kyungsoo." Kyungsoo didn't know what the swooping deep in his belly was, so he gently moved Chanyeol out of the way and took a beer from the fridge. He apparently needed one this morning. Chanyeol added, "Baekhyun and Jongdae aren't even mated."

"They can't." Kyungsoo chewed on his lip. Took a swig of beer. "Something about their families not approving. I've never even seen them kiss. Uh, on the mouth."

He sneaked a glance at Chanyeol, who was blinking owlishly at the floor. "That makes no sense. They're...they're _so_ in love."

"Yeah. They're aware. But they said they only...give in, I guess, during their ruts. Which I think are synced up."

"Oh that's that true love, shit." Chanyeol pinched the bridge of his nose. "What the fuck. Fuck, Kyungsoo. What have you gotten yourself into?"

Kyungsoo could only shrug.

He was able to keep his mind occupied for most of the rest of the day, diving into work after a couple of hours of video games with Chanyeol, offering vague texts about being busy to Baekhyun and Jongdae so that he didn't have to _think about it._

But it was when nighttime hit, when he climbed into bed early chasing a warmth he wouldn't find there, that Chanyeol's concerns and observations plagued him again. What _had_ he gotten himself into?

The stuff he needed to know about Baekhyun and Jongdae, he would have to get from them when they were ready to share, obviously. Maybe them being so hesitant to be together despite this maybe-relationship with Kyungsoo was something they could all work through together. Otherwise, he had the internet before him to look into the other stuff, the likelihood that a human/werewolf relationship could last, no matter how dangerous trusting the internet could be sometimes. He would just have to research, and research until he came to a majority conclusion, until he reached a safe consensus.

The articles he opened his research with on his phone on were a rough start, mentioning cases of humans dying gruesomely by Alpha bites. They luckily didn't include pictures, otherwise he wasn't sure he would've been able to continue right from the start.

It took a long time to parse through the bad, however, before he started finding anything good. It was all, " _Alphas need Omegas to function long-term."_

_"Humans, no matter how determined, are too weak for an Alpha's power, and especially their bite."_

_"What's the point in wolves mating with humans, when wolf connections are so much better/stronger/etc?"_

It was disheartening, especially when the first relatively positive article he found still had a hell of a lot of negatives. It was merely nicer ways of saying all the awful things he'd already read. Were his feelings really so irrelevant? Was his weird connection to Baekhyun and the fact Baekhyun kept trying to bite him really so...pointless?

Had he been right all along swearing relationships were never meant for him?

 _Just one more page,_ he eventually told himself, when he had only about an ounce of hope left within him. _If it's all the same, I'll end it now. Before anyone gets more attached._

Even the thought made him sick to his stomach, but he would be the bigger person if he had to.

He reached the bottom of the page, eyes burning with exhaustion and definitely not sheer frustration, when it offered a video link.

_Human Tells All About His Alpha Boyfriend!_

Wary, Kyungsoo clicked on it.

 _“What’s up, World Wide Web?”_ the man on camera instantly said. He was handsome, a sculpted face and perfectly-styled, dark hair. He leaned a little closer to the lens. _“I’m guessing you clicked on this video to get the dirty details about what human slash werewolf relationships are really like, huh? Huh?”_ He scrunched his nose up, resembling disgust, and Kyungsoo’s heart sank. He was just about to click out of the video when the man’s face softened and he said, _“Well...it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”_

Kyungsoo froze, finger hovering over the X in the corner. “What.”

_“You heard me. The best thing that has ever happened to me, by a long shot.”_

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure why the relief made his eyes burn with the threat of tears.

 _“My name is Suho. And this…”_ Suho smiled at something off-screen, then reached his hand out past the field of view. When he sat back, he was dragging another man into frame. _“This is my honey.”_

The second man looked taller, a broody-looking contrast to Suho’s seemingly sunshine-personality. He was also handsome, like the gods themselves took their time sculpting his face, honestly. He was blushing, maybe, but then the clouds in their sky seemed to move and temporarily blinded them so they both covered their eyes. Kyungsoo saw the way the glare reflected from the second man’s eyes. Red.

 _“Ugh, the clouds were perfect for the lighting,”_ Suho was saying.

 _“I’ll check the camera.”_ The wolf moved off-screen again, Suho tracking his movement with ridiculously fond eyes. _“It looks fine. It makes you glow.”_

Suho’s face split into a cheesy smile. _“Yeah?”_

_“Mm-hm.”_

The wolf entered the frame again, and this time settled more comfortably next to Suho, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and burying his nose in Suho’s hair. Oh, he was ridiculously fond, too. Kyungsoo could see the broodiness melt away the _second_ he inhaled Suho’s scent. It gave Kyungsoo chills.

Suho closed his eyes for a short moment, an almost private smile on his face, and then he made eye contact with the camera again. _“Anyway.”_ He chuckled shyly. _“I should edit that out,”_ he said, followed by a quick flash of text that said [ _Honey wouldn’t let me, hehe.] “Anyway, if you’re watching this to send death threats and arguments to my inbox, then I can’t help you. But if you’re here because...maybe you’ve found someone, but you’re not sure how it works, whether you’re a human or werewolf, and you’ve read all those awful freakin’ articles online—”_

_“Babe.”_

Suho sighed, snuggling up to the wolf. _“Ninety-nine percent of those articles are fake.”_ Kyungsoo blinked. _“They’re written by Traditional wolves who just want to scare everyone. They don’t want wolves and humans mating, so of course they’re posting these awful things, using real, tragic cases and turning them into something they’re not.”_

Huh.

 _“You should always proceed with caution, and take things slow, especially if you’re with an Alpha.”_ The wolf nodded along to Suho’s words. _“But I’m here to tell you, to show you, that it’s not impossible at all. This is just a taste, an introduction—yeah the title was clickbait—but we’ll be making more videos. We want people like us to know they’re not alone. And please, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to DM me on Twitter!”_

Kyungsoo frowned. He didn’t know the first thing about Twitter, just that Chanyeol was always showing him stuff on it, and Baekhyun was always giggling at memes there. Kyungsoo and Jongdae were alike, when it came to this. Humoring their wolves at best, but otherwise oblivious to the world of social media.

It didn't matter anyway. He had no real reason to contact this Suho, and this video was over a year old, so who was to say the offer even still stood?

Despite his aversion to contacting Suho directly, his curiosity to dive a _little_ deeper was too great. When the video ended with two bright, beautiful smiles and comfortable cuddles, Kyungsoo automatically clicked on the username beneath, _Suho &Honey. _ They had fifty videos, and Kyungsoo scrolled to the very bottom, until he saw the video he had just watched. The one above it was named _Our Origin Story._ He clicked it.

Before he knew it, the sun was rising and he'd almost been through the entirety of Suho and Honey's videos, their words, their affection, their sincerity swirling through his head. He texted the groupchat in a haze.

 **kyungsoo:** _can I come see you guys today?_

Surprisingly, Baekhyun instantly responded.

 **baekhyun:** _baby!!!! of course you can. i miss youuu. jongdae will be out until like 6 but you can come over whenever. i'll be here :) <3 _

Sleep pulled at Kyungsoo’s eyes, and he fought with the idea of crawling to their apartment to sleep with Baekhyun instead of alone. His bed just wasn’t the right kind of warm.

 **jongdae:** _Get some sleep first, Soo. I know the only reason you’d be awake right now is because you pulled an all-nighter >.< Stop doing that  
_ **kyungsoo:** _i didn’t mean to this time_ _  
_ **kyungsoo:** _but yeah. can barely keep my eyes open._ _  
_ **jongdae:** _Baek’s gonna catch a few more hours too. I’ll see you both when I get home. <3 _   
**baekhyun:** _sleep well my sweet, sweet human <3 _ _  
_ **kyungsoo:** <3

Kyungsoo finally let his eyes win, shutting them and hugging his pillow to himself. It was almost hard, because he really would prefer sleeping with Baekhyun. He longed for it, even, but he was here, and Baekhyun was there, and Jongdae had instructed for them to sleep where they were, so Kyungsoo would obey this time.

He pulled Youtube up before unconsciousness completely swept him away, Suho’s and Honey’s voices swirling in his head about how it sometimes took time for attached Alphas to practice control, how humans should work their way up to taking a knot but that it was completely possible, that humans could successfully take the bite.

_“Ruts are difficult, I can’t lie to you. We have had a Beta friend help occasionally, if my Honey’s ruts go for too long. It’s different than a human helping an Omega in heat, if only because of how taxing an Alpha's knot makes things. And how intense their need to be in control despite not being totally present throughout. But! Ruts do get much easier once you’re mated. The Alpha is satisfied with the connection, and we went, what, Honey? From three day ruts to one day ruts? Now they’re just a really fun day off.”_

Kyungsoo finally knocked out, wondering how badly receiving the bite would hurt.

Certain he would one day be willing to take it.


	5. Risk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo learns about Baekhyun and Jongdae's pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 8k

Many hours later, when Kyungsoo was finally refreshed and knocking on Baekhyun and Jongdae's door, he didn't expect to come face to face with a red-faced, teary-eyed Baekhyun.

"Baekhyun?"

"K-Kyungsoo?" Baekhyun's face crumpled. "Fuck, wh-what time is it?"

"It's like two, I dunno. Baek..." Kyungsoo stepped forward, taking Baekhyun's damp face in his hands. Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut and forced new streams of tears out. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I-I'm fine." The words came out more like a sob, and Kyungsoo felt his heart crack.

He wasn't sure what to do, unused to seeing the sun itself so broken. "Baby, you're not fine," he muttered, more to himself as he pulled the door shut behind him and wrapped Baekhyun in his arms. The way Baekhyun clung for dear life was simultaneous with a full-on meltdown, quietly weeping into Kyungsoo's neck. It made every part of Kyungsoo ache. He needed to help Baekhyun, to make him feel better, but he had no idea how. All he could do for this moment was hold him tight and try not to let his own tears fall. He wasn't even a crier, usually, but this, seeing Baekhyun like this  _ hurt. _

It took a while to coax Baekhyun toward the bedroom, to help him into bed and climb in after him. Kyungsoo was barely settled before Baekhyun was wrapped around him again, nose against Kyungsoo's neck. He had sudden flashbacks, to the pinched, moody look on Honey's face melting away when he inhaled Suho's scent. But the thought wilted when he got his first whiff of alcohol. He gently tugged on Baekhyun's human ear.

"Have you been drinking?"

Baekhyun nodded, voice thick and still wavering when he said, "We have a stash of Bane. From Seulgi."

“How drunk are you?”

“Very.”

Kyungsoo sighed. "I should get you some water." But when he made to get up, Baekhyun whimpered, limbs tightening around Kyungsoo's body.

"Please don't leave me."

The words cut right into Kyungsoo's heart, and with a passion he wasn't even aware he possessed, he reared back and grabbed Baekhyun's red face in his palms. "Hey," he said. His voice suddenly sounded much more similar to Baekhyun's, like maybe he was on the verge of crying, too. "I am not leaving you. I will not leave this apartment until you’re okay again. But I  _ will _ take care of you. I’m gonna get you some water, and food. Being drunk is only gonna make you feel worse.”

Baekhyun slowly nodded, his lips pursed together like he was physically holding in sobs. Kyungsoo hated it. The complete opposite of how drunk-Baekhyun had been the night they met, compassionate, happy, affectionate. “Just one more minute. Please.”

Reluctantly, Kyungsoo relented. He nodded, and let Baekhyun burrow back into his neck. “Of course.”

“I’m the Alpha,” Baekhyun whispered after a couple of minutes of sniffling. “I’m supposed to take care of you.”

“I’m not a wolf,” Kyungsoo responded easily. He pressed a kiss to Baekhyun’s head. “Who takes care of Alphas, huh?”

A dry sob was heaved against his throat. “Why are you so good?”

God, he was drunk. Kyungsoo didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed it sooner. It felt irrelevant to mention, however, for fear of derailing Baekhyun’s ever-steadying voice. “Oh, Baek.”

A beat of silence. A sniffle. “You called me baby.”

“Hm?”

“When you came in, and hugged me. You called me baby.”

“Ah…” Kyungsoo bit his lip. He wasn’t  _ much _ for pet names, but Baekhyun was the kind of person you wanted to shower in endearments always. He brushed his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair. “You like that?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Then...I’ll try to get better about saying it.”

“You don’t—You don’t have to…”

“Shh.” Kyungsoo kissed his head again. “Maybe I want to.”  _ For you. _

Baekhyun slowly rested his palm flat on Kyungsoo’s chest, probably acknowledging that Kyungsoo’s heart rate hadn’t elevated, that he hadn’t lied. “Okay.”

Kyungsoo gave him another minute, waited until there were longer pauses between each of Baekhyun’s sniffles. “Okay, Baek. Let me get you that water and food.”

Obediently, Baekhyun nodded, but when Kyungsoo extricated himself from Baekhyun and got his feet firmly on the floor, Baekhyun scrambled to follow.

“Baekhyun, you can rest—“ Kyungsoo tried, but Baekhyun just hugged his arm and pressed his nose to Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“You help.”

Maybe now Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat, a flash of Suho and Honey invading his mind’s eye again. He freed his arm from Baekhyun’s grip and wrapped it around his shoulders instead. “Come on, then.”

Kyungsoo worked as quickly as he could, starting with closing up the open bottle of liquor on the counter and putting it away in a random cabinet. Next, he fixed a glass of water, making Baekhyun drink at least half of it, then rummaged through the fridge for something relatively quick.

He ended up settling on eggs and rice, rinsing the rice off in record speed and just throwing it in a pot to boil while he found another to cook the eggs in. Baekhyun stayed close throughout it all, keeping a safe distance until Kyungsoo was stationed at the stove more permanently to cook. Even though the eggs wouldn’t take long, Kyungsoo had to admit how nice it felt to have Baekhyun wrap his arms around him from behind, nose buried in his neck as always. Kyungsoo quietly recounted how Chanyeol reacted to them having sex to fill the silence, and was relieved to hear—and feel—Baekhyun’s soft, pleased giggles.

Kyungsoo only reluctantly broke away when the eggs were done and he needed to drain the rice, but once he acknowledged that they needed time to cool off, he spun around and gently grabbed for Baekhyun, pulling him close. For a moment, he only held Baekhyun’s face, sweeping thumbs across his thankfully dry cheeks and staring into his puffy, reddened-from-crying eyes.

“Hi,” Baekhyun murmured after a long moment, fingers fidgeting where they grasped at Kyungsoo’s shirt.

Kyungsoo leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth, lingering for a few seconds longer than he normally would. But it had the desired effect, making Baekhyun melt into his arms until they were hugging again.

It was hard, for Kyungsoo not to beg him to explain why he was in this state, to not ask what had happened to turn his cheery Baekhyun into a drunken puddle of tears. But if there was one thing Kyungsoo could say he knew about Baekhyun, it was that he  _ would  _ talk, he would share when he was ready. Kyungsoo just needed to do what he could to help him get there.

He fixed one plate with two forks and refilled Baekhyun’s water, fixed himself a glass, too. He was just about to ask Baekhyun where he wanted to eat when he realized Baekhyun was rummaging through one of the cabinets. Kyungsoo approached him, and Baekhyun slowed, sheepishly setting a bottle of medicine on the counter. Kyungsoo pulled his eyebrows together. Wolves didn’t need medicine, like, for anything, ever. They didn’t get sick.

“What is that?” he asked.

Baekhyun chewed on his lips. “It’s...an antibiotic we can take. Helps break down the wolfsbane faster.”

Kyungsoo sighed. Clearly, Baekhyun hadn’t planned on telling him about this before, too sad to care about sobering up. But Kyungsoo did feel the smallest relief that maybe he  _ was  _ helping, if Baekhyun wanted to feel better. Kyungsoo briefly caressed Baekhyun’s cheek and grabbed the bottle.

“How many?”

“Two,” he answered quietly.

Kyungsoo nodded, dumping two into his hand and passing them to Baekhyun. He slid his water across the counter too.

Once Baekhyun swallowed them, he opened his mouth wide, tongue out. Kyungsoo blinked. He gently touched Baekhyun’s cheek. “Baek, you don’t have to...prove that you took them. I believe you.”

Baekhyun’s face fell, head tipping down to stare at the floor. Kyungsoo watched in horror as Baekhyun’s rapidly fluttering lashes grew wetter, coated in a fresh round of tears. His silver ears flattened against his head. “Thanks,” he seemed to choke out. “Sorry. I’m—“

“Shh. Shh.” Kyungsoo shook his head, trying not to panic. “You’re just drunk, it’s okay.”

“No,” Baekhyun sobbed. “No, I’m broken.”

“You’re not,” Kyungsoo was quick to say. “And-And…” He tried to gather his thoughts. Not only did he not want to verbally panic, but he didn’t want Baekhyun to  _ feel _ him panicking. He wasn’t sure he was doing a good job of stomping the feeling down, though. For the umpteenth time, he grabbed Baekhyun’s face, making him look at him. “And if you are...I will personally pick up every fucking piece of you and put you back together.”

Baekhyun’s next sob racked through his entire body. It was raw, and it was ugly, but it was a release, Kyungsoo could tell that much. Baekhyun was in his arms again, planting messy, grateful kisses all over his throat. “I don’t deserve you,” he rasped eventually. “I don’t—”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Their mouths crashed together painfully, more teeth than anything, but just as quickly as it happened, the kiss softened into something easier, more affectionate. Then Baekhyun knocked their foreheads together. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” He sniffled, fingers sinking into Kyungsoo’s hair. “I wanna talk to you about this.”

“I’m sorry you think you need to apologize.” Kyungsoo kissed Baekhyun’s pouty bottom lip. “And whenever you’re ready Baekhyun. No rush. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t leave until you want me to.”

Baekhyun only nodded, but made no move to part. Kyungsoo tried not to sigh aloud. He really needed to get Baekhyun fed and into bed, especially when he wasn't sure if food needed to accompany those antibiotics Baekhyun took or not. Maybe distraction tactics were the only way forward. And if Kyungsoo knew one thing that could double-team Baekhyun, distract and calm him, it was Kyungsoo's scent. Even if Kyungsoo was currently trying not to think about that too hard.

"Hey."

Baekhyun hummed, his weight lazily swaying more into Kyungsoo.

"How do I smell, huh? This is the first time Chanyeol hasn't tried to erase every trace of you and Jongdae since we met."

Surprisingly, Baekhyun grinned. Kyungsoo could see it in the way his cheeks raised, could feel the ghost of it against his mouth. "It’s nice not having to rub Chanyeol's thick scent off of you. Though the rubbing is always fun."

Kyungsoo snorted. "You're not wrong."

Baekhyun sighed. "You smell just right. Like you, and like Chanyeol, and like us still. Even better now. Better when Jongdae gets home."

"Do I really..." Kyungsoo hesitated. He couldn't stop himself from asking, though. "Do I really help?"

Baekhyun exhaled against his lips, voice a whisper as he said, "More than you know."

Kyungsoo swallowed, and could only nod in response. It's not like it wasn't common for wolves to find comfort in certain scents. Chanyeol had always had a soft spot for Kyungsoo's. So much so that Kyungsoo had never thought twice about it. Not until he watched Suho and Honey.

Swallowing again, more questions, more uncertainties, he said, "I'm glad. That there's at least one thing I can do for you."

"Just that you're here is enough, Soo." Baekhyun was sniffling again. Crap. "Your addicting fucking scent is just a bonus."

Kyungsoo wasn't sure how true that was, but he still used it to his advantage, wanting to stop Baekhyun's next wave of tears. "Come on, baby," he murmured, trying to pull all the stops. "Just take what you need."

Gently, he guided Baekhyun's head until he was pressing Baekhyun's nose into his neck. Baekhyun shuddered, melting even more into Kyungsoo's embrace as he inhaled. Kyungsoo tentatively took a step backward, relieved when Baekhyun walked without question.

Kyungsoo kept going, trying to ignore the tears tickling his skin, trying not to startle Baekhyun. He only hoped that an overload of his scent right now would be enough to leave Baekhyun momentarily to run and grab the probably-cold food he'd made for them.

It did seem to work, Baekhyun protesting very little when Kyungsoo guided him into the bed, fluffing up pillows for him to sit against and tucking blankets around his lap. "I'll be right back," he promised, punctuating it with a soft kiss. "Just gonna grab the food."

Baekhyun sleepily nodded, puckering his lips for another kiss. How could Kyungsoo  _ not _ oblige?

He petted Baekhyun’s head once before hurrying back out into the apartment. Grimacing, he stuck their plate of food in the microwave to zap it, then chugged his glass of water and stuck it in the sink. He grabbed the silverware, Baekhyun’s water, and the plate out of the microwave in one clean sweep across the kitchen, and was relieved to find Baekhyun exactly where he left him, though a little more watery-eyed.

Kyungsoo carefully settled in, letting Baekhyun mindlessly fix the covers around him, clearly trying to return the favor. “Alright, come on, pup,” Kyungsoo said, making Baekhyun scrunch his nose up in a way that showed he was trying not to giggle.

“If my family heard you call me that, they’d freak—“ Baekhyun stopped, all amusement dropping from his expression in an instant as he stared at the bed. “But it’s cute when you say it,” he whispered as an afterthought.

Slowly, Kyungsoo set the plate on the bed, using a hand to caress Baekhyun’s jaw. “Where’d you go?”

Baekhyun blinked at him, frowning. “Sorry.”

“You really don’t have to apologize, Baek.”

Baekhyun nodded and visibly swallowed, leaning over to pick up the plate himself to take a bite. Then, he held a bite out for Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo let Baekhyun feed him, because he didn’t know what else to do. He also found a random movie for them to stream, hoping the white noise would help, at the very least.

It wasn’t until they were cuddled together, buried under the covers, when Baekhyun finally sighed and said, “My dad called today.”

Kyungsoo tipped his head down to look at him, fingers continuing to gently stroke his tail. “Oh?”

“I don’t like my dad.”

“Oh.”

“He doesn’t like me.”

“Why not?”

Baekhyun tilted his face up, mouth drawn to one side in uncertainty. “What?” he quietly asked. “You’re not gonna tell me  _ of course he likes you, he’s your dad!?” _

Kyungsoo shook his head. “My dad didn’t like me either, so no.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun hesitated. “Is he…?”

“He’s dead. Since a few years ago. I only know because a cousin emailed me his obituary.”

“Soo…”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “He cast me out when he found out I helped Chanyeol with his heats. And everyone took his side. He’d been looking for an excuse since I was a kid. It was easier when I was close to graduating high school.” He took a breath, then shook his head again. “Doesn’t matter. We don’t need to talk about me right now.”

But that only made Baekhyun frown and prop himself up on his elbow, half-hovering over Kyungsoo. Their noses were just shy of touching. “This discussion doesn’t have to be one-sided,” Baekhyun said. Just in the way he spoke, Kyungsoo could tell the antibiotics had kicked in. “We’ve never talked about stuff like this before, and it’s important.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo said. “I know. But I don’t talk about my family because it doesn’t bother me. Chanyeol is my real family.”  _ And you. Maybe, you too,  _ his brain unhelpfully supplied. But it was way too early for that, wasn’t it?

Baekhyun softened. “He is, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it…” Baekhyun glanced to the side, at the nightstand, maybe. “Your brother’s calls that you always ignore?”

Kyungsoo paused his mindless petting. “What?”

Baekhyun slowly sounded the syllables out. “Seung...Soo…he always seems to call, and you never answer. Is he your brother?”

“Yes. He claims he wants to make amends. I haven’t decided if it’s something I want, yet.”

Baekhyun nodded, and leaned in for a soft kiss. “That’s valid, baby. We can talk about it whenever you want, if you want.”

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo said, warmth blooming in his chest. He didn’t want to talk about it, not really, but for Baekhyun to so sincerely offer when he was clearly still upset about his own family...it meant a lot to Kyungsoo. “Really.”

Baekhyun nodded, pressing their mouths together one more time before settling back down, forehead nestled against Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo resumed his petting, paying attention to Baekhyun’s tail and ears.

“So why doesn’t your dad like one of the best people I’ve ever met in my entire life?” Kyungsoo asked, cheeks heating up at his own words. They’d sort of just fallen out, but he supposed it was the affection he seemed to be bubbling over with.  _ Ugh, _ being friends with Chanyeol made him so cheesy, sometimes.

Baekhyun squirmed, clearly preening, but it only lasted a moment before he sighed. “I was always a disappointment to him, I guess. Mostly because I was powerful, even when I was a pup, but I didn’t show much interest in girls or family politics.” He lowered his voice, clearly mimicking someone as he added,  _ “Which are the most important things for a male Alpha to care about.” _

Kyungsoo sighed in understanding.

Baekhyun continued, “But three years ago, I somehow got comfortable. It was...It was easier to be around my dad. He seemed nicer. I—“ Baekhyun sniffled. “I let my guard down. I thought, maybe he was getting old, and cared less about his beliefs, but he just wanted—“

Kyungsoo didn’t like where this was going one bit, but he wrapped Baekhyun up in his arms and gently encouraged him to continue anyway.

“He wanted an excuse—kinda like yours did I guess—and I fell right into it. I thought he’d changed and I...tried to be brave and confessed that Jongdae and I were in love.” His words were punctuated by a quiet sob.

“Baek…”

“Our families are strange because they’re-they’re Traditional—“ Kyungsoo’s heart sank. God-fucking-damnit. “—but not in some ways. Traditional families are very much all about—“

“Pure-blood lineage.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Kyungsoo took a deep breath, suddenly thinking about all the times he and Chanyeol had made fun of the idea, that Traditional families could still exist. It hardly seemed real to be talking about it now, to learn that Baekhyun  _ and  _ Jongdae came from a Traditionalist  _ cult,  _ essentially. “Chanyeol told me a lot about them when I had to write a piece on Traditionalists one time.”

“Oh. So you know—“

“How fucking sick they are? Yeah, I do.”

Baekhyun was quiet for a long time after that, and Kyungsoo worried that he had upset him, but when Baekhyun spoke again, his voice was steadier than it had been all day. “Our families are one pack, which goes against the biggest point of Traditionalism, but...we’ve always wondered if maybe they just like the cruel bits.”

Kyungsoo always thought cruelty was the main point behind Traditionalism. The things he’d read about wolves being drained of their power for toeing out of line, about wolves being beaten by the entire pack for questioning the way things were done. Especially when it came to mating. Alphas were supposed to mate with Omegas of opposite gender, period, according to them. To continue the pure lineage. So Kyungsoo could see how an Alpha confessing his love for another Alpha could go utterly, completely wrong. 

It was all ugly, and that was putting it nicely.

“Other than that, their beliefs are the same. The horror stories I’m sure you’ve read if you’ve researched it. They’re all true.”

Kyungsoo felt sick, felt actual, acidic bile rising in his throat. He swallowed it down. “How did you two...escape?” From what Kyungsoo knew, Traditional packs always lived together.

“We didn’t.” At Kyungsoo’s thick, pondering silence, he continued, “We were cut off. Financially. Our pack is very wealthy.” Almost all Traditional packs were. “I received the bulk of the punishment, for standing up to my father, and together we were forced out of the mansion and away from the pack’s resources.” The steadiness in his voice was gone, tears dripping onto Kyungsoo’s skin. “It’s so stupid because—it’s the freedom we’ve always craved. We can live by our own pack rules here, we can pretend they don’t still control us, but—” Baekhyun cursed, scrubbing at the exposed side of his face. “We’re still imprisoned. They still have the control. I can’t even—I can’t even kiss him, two hours away, without being terrified that they’ll find out—”

“Baekhyun, that’s awful. I’m so fucking sorry.” Kyungsoo hugged Baekhyun tight and let him cry a while, struggling to hold back his own emotions. Especially his selfish ones, because really, where did that leave Kyungsoo in all of this? 

Eventually, to keep himself from spiraling into pure frustration, he asked, “As fucking terrible as they are, it almost seems...counterintuitive to ship you off together.”

“Yeah. In some ways it does. But it’s...it’s worse torture than whatever they would do to us at home. To be so close all the time, alone, but…” Simultaneously, Baekhyun pulled the blankets higher up their bodies and shoved his nose into Kyungsoo’s neck. “Someone did suggest sending us to separate towns, but it was unanimously decided that this was the better alternative. For everyone but us.”

“How do they even…?”

“We’re just…” Baekhyun rubbed at his eyes again. “We’re checked on a lot. And we have to go back a lot. For important pack dinners and holidays and birthdays. We miss anything, we’re punished. We miss a phone call, and we’re punished. We’re...We’re checked for mating bites…”

“...Checked?”

Baekhyun nodded. “They’d be able to smell it between us, but they make us—they check.”

That bile was rising again, at the feeling of Baekhyun shuddering uncomfortably against him. It made Kyungsoo adjust the covers around them, too. “Where are Jongdae’s parents in all of this?”

“They...They died a long time ago. Car crash. They were...a lot nicer than my parents.”

“I’m sorry.” Kyungsoo buried his nose in Baekhyun’s hair, right between his ears. “I don’t know what to say other than that. I’m so sorry.”

“It-It’s okay.” Baekhyun laughed, though there wasn’t a drop of humor behind it. “You know what the stupidest part of it all is?” Kyungsoo hummed. “I miss them. Most of them anyway. My mom, Jongdae’s cousins, Jongdeok, Jongdae’s brother...I grew up with all of them, and now...Jongdeok was like, the best big brother I could ever have, and now he hasn’t spoken to me in three years.”

“Jesus.”

“It’s just all so fucked. I miss it, but I hate going back. Sometimes I feel like I have to just...dissociate to get through the visits. Me and Jongdae aren’t even allowed to sit together at pack dinners, or sleep in the same wing of the house. God, I hate it so much.”

All of it sounded like too much for one person to have to handle, too much pressure, too much hiding, too much holding back. Kyungsoo said as much aloud, and Baekhyun nodded, covering the exposed side of his face with his hand, like he wanted to curl into the darkness.

“It almost...doesn’t sound worth it, right? It doesn’t sound worth it at all.” Sniffles. Kyungsoo rubbed his back. “Jongdae...he’s...the most complicated part of my life, always has been. But I could never, never give him up. I can’t—I can’t live without him, Kyungsoo. I couldn’t even imagine—”

“Shh…” Kyungsoo tried to soothe him. “I don’t know how you guys do it, Baek. I’ve never been big on relationships or paid attention or...whatever, but I can see it just in the way you guys look at each other. Even when we had sex the other night, you guys didn’t even—”

“The other night was about you,” Baekhyun whispered, but Kyungsoo knew it was just an excuse.

“Baekhyun, this is way bigger than me. What about you guys? There isn’t...Is there any way for you to…?” 

“We want to not care, we  _ don’t  _ care. Not really. Who the fuck cares if we’re two Alphas? Two men? We love each other...so much. That should be  _ all  _ that matters.” Baekhyun’s ears flattened on either side of Kyungsoo’s nose. “Our families are just so…we can’t break away so easily. There are rules, a process, and my father’ll...he’ll never let us leave.”

God- _ fucking _ -dammit. “Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo mentally braced himself for a potential storm, trying to ignore the way his heart was already cracking in anticipation. He moved away from Baekhyun, just enough so they could look at each other. The whites of Baekhyun’s eyes were red, the natural brown of them sparkling with unshed tears. “Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo repeated. “All of this that you’re telling me. All of the struggling you’ve gone through with Jongdae. Why...Why risk this, then?” He shakily motioned between the two of them. “I’m a human. I don’t fit into a Traditionalist Fuck’s ideals either. Baek, I can’t possibly make this harder for you both—”

Baekhyun lunged forward, forcing the rest of Kyungsoo’s words back down his throat. A kiss so hard and desperate, Kyungsoo felt the pang of it in his gut. It ended with Baekhyun’s mouth breaking apart in quiet sobs, crying with his face pressed to Kyungsoo’s.

“Because I’m so tired,” he said. “I don’t know what it is about you that-that makes me want to—need to finally take the risk. I can’t stop—my brain screams at me to run away but my instincts won’t listen. Can’t listen. Y-You’re inescapable, and I’m just not strong enough to fight it. I don’t want to, Soo. I don’t want to. I’ve never felt so fucking whole, like I do when I’m with you both—” His words broke into a new wave of sobs, and Kyungsoo wasn’t far behind him. This was far more complex than Kyungsoo ever realized. If he were smart, he would walk away now. No. If he were smart, he would’ve walked away after that first night.

Kyungsoo never was the brightest in his class.

“But Baek,” Kyungsoo said, trying not to sound so fucking devastated. “Baek, what about Jongdae? What about the two of you?”

“I think—I think I’m not strong enough to fight that anymore either,” Baekhyun answered in a whisper. He sounded  _ terrified. _ “I’m just so tired, Soo,” he repeated. “All the time. I don’t know how to move forward, but I need to. I fucking need to.” He gasped for breath. “Dae and I...Dae and I were always inevitable. It was just a matter of time before we collided.” Another sharp intake of breath. “It’s just a matter of time, right?”

Backing up for one quick glance confirmed Baekhyun was sinking into a panic attack, eyes unfocused and chest heaving. Cautiously, Kyungsoo grabbed his face, forcing eye contact. “Baekhyun, hey, can you breathe with me?”

“Wh-What?”

“You’re having a panic attack.”

“I-I am?”

Kyungsoo nodded, a bit short of breath himself. He just wanted Baekhyun to be okay. He just needed him to feel okay again. “Have you ever had one before?”

“I guess—maybe—”

“Hey,” Kyungsoo softened his voice. “Breathe, baby. With me.” He made sure to animate the way he inhaled, deep, then slowly let it out. Baekhyun nodded, trying and mostly failing to imitate him.

It took a few moments, but he eventually was able to match Kyungsoo’s breathing, the bright red in his cheeks fading to something more reasonable, his eyes not quite so glassy.

“Good.” Kyungsoo took another breath, nodding when Baekhyun followed. “Good.”

Kyungsoo was just about to ask how he felt when Baekhyun’s eyes drooped, and he shifted, pulling Kyungsoo’s hands from his face and rearranging them until Baekhyun was wrapped up in Kyungsoo’s embrace again, face buried in Kyungsoo’s neck. “I’m so tired,” he whispered, breath rattling, broken still.

“I know, baby. Just get some rest.”

Baekhyun nodded, but then he asked, “Do you get them? Panic attacks?”

“Chanyeol does. Used to. Matching breaths always worked for him. It’s different with everyone, but I’m glad it worked for you too.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Soo.”

“Of course.”

Kyungsoo thought he could probably sleep, too, despite having woken up right before he came here. But he felt like he’d run a marathon, or had been on a rollercoaster that just kept going and going and going. So much new information was trudging through his brain, fighting with the information that had so excitedly driven him to the wolves’ apartment to begin with. He’d come here ready to start something real, ready to dive in headfirst instead of blindly dipping his toes. But could he really put Baekhyun and Jongdae in danger like that? Could he live with himself if he agreed to jump in with them, and then something happened to them because of it?

“I’m sorry.” Baekhyun’s groggy voice cut into his thoughts like the sharpest of knives. “I swear I...didn’t plan on dumping this on you today.” He shook his head, a weak movement. “He was s’posed to call tomorrow.”

“It’s okay, Baek. Really.”

“‘S not. It won’t be easy. We should talk more but I-I understand if you want out.”

That was the thing. As much determination as Kyungsoo felt to  _ not _ complicate things, Baekhyun even insinuating that Kyungsoo wanting out could be an option made his insides twist up so painfully, he had to grab his stomach.

“No,” he breathed. “I don’t want out.”

Baekhyun pressed a slow kiss to his neck. “We’ll talk more, then.”

“Yeah. Sleep now, sweetheart.”

“Mm-kay.”

Kyungsoo wanted to sleep, maybe more than anything. Shouldn’t he sleep on it? On everything he’d just learned? But his brain wouldn’t be quiet long enough to allow it, even when he tried to push all of his focus onto the way Baekhyun felt in his arms, and Baekhyun’s soft, steady breathing.

He was going back and forth between half-paying attention to the series playing on the TV and half-paying attention to Reddit on his phone when the bedroom door creaked open, and a harried-looking Jongdae poked his head through, wavy black hair falling into his eyes. He visibly let out a breath, eyebrows pulling together before he stepped into the room fully.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo said, mouthing it more than actually saying it. The last thing he wanted was for Baekhyun’s rest to be disrupted. Kyungsoo waited until Jongdae was sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, to say, “You’re home early.”

Jongdae nodded. “I finally found someone to agree to take over the rest of my lessons for the day. Got here as fast as I could.”

“You knew…?” Kyungsoo glanced down at Baekhyun, and Jongdae nodded.

“He texted me that Alpha called.” He chewed on his lip, an irrevocable sadness overcoming his face when he shifted his hand from Kyungsoo’s hair to Baekhyun’s face. Even in Baekhyun’s sleep, he pressed into the touch. Jongdae’s eyelids fluttered shut, and he shook his head. Kyungsoo could only watch him until he stood up. “Come on,” Jongdae murmured, taking Kyungsoo by the hand. 

He helped Kyungsoo extricate himself from Baekhyun without disturbing him, and quietly led him into the living room. They sat next to each other on the couch, thighs touching, tension hanging in the air between them.

“Baekhyun...told me some things,” Kyungsoo found himself saying.

Jongdae nodded. “I’m not surprised. It’s always the same when they call. He always drinks and...and spills his heart out for everyone to see.” Jongdae sighed at his lap. “I’m sorry if it was too overwhelming. I assume he told you about our families. So I understand—“

“I don’t care about that.”

Jongdae glanced up, brows raised.

“No, I care. The things he told me were fucking awful. I-I mean that it doesn’t scare me away, like you both clearly assume it should.” Like maybe it should.

Jongdae opened his mouth to speak, but Kyungsoo shook his head. “I don’t know where we’re going with any of this. And everything Baekhyun told me about your pack does worry the fuck out of me. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to the two of you because I wasn’t strong enough to walk away.”

“Soo—”

“But there is...something in me that can’t.” Kyungsoo peered at Jongdae, feeling the way his own eyes widened, feeling way too open and vulnerable and uncertain. “Baekhyun gave me an out and just the idea—it felt like I’d been stabbed.” He blinked down at his lap, Jongdae’s softening expression too much. “It’s too late. Whatever this is, whatever we’re doing, whatever  _ the two of you _ are doing, it’s too late to turn back. I can’t walk away. Baekhyun doesn’t seem to be able to either.”

“No,” Jongdae agreed. “He doesn’t. I don’t wanna walk away either, babe. You’re not alone.”

Kyungsoo could only nod, trying to collect his thoughts.

“I’m not gonna lie, Soo. It was hard for me at first. To see Baekhyun be so open to being with you, like he just couldn’t help himself. He’s...He’s always been the most resistant about...us.” Kyungsoo didn’t have to look to know Jongdae was talking about himself and Baekhyun, not the three of them. “I’ve always wanted to just—but Alpha is his father, and Baekhyun is just...so scared of him. And I get it, really. I am, too. But I still  _ want—” _

“Baekhyun does too.” Jongdae froze next to him. “You guys need to talk, but he said he’s...he’s tired. He doesn’t want to fight it anymore.” Kyungsoo startled when Jongdae’s fingers slid between his, squeezing his hand tight like Jongdae needed the support. Kyungsoo’s voice dropped to an uncertain whisper, “Whether it includes me or not...you both deserve to be happy. Together.”

“Fuck,” Jongdae exhaled, just shy of being a sob. “Come here.” He tugged on Kyungsoo’s hand. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what he meant by it. “Come here.”

It took a moment for Kyungsoo to understand what Jongdae wanted was for Kyungsoo to be on his lap, straddling his thighs so Jongdae could wrap him up tight. Now Jongdae shoved his nose into Kyungsoo’s neck, inhaling. Wolves.

"Sorry," Jongdae muttered after dropping a few soft kisses to Kyungsoo's skin. "I didn't plan on leaking all over you." His laugh was watery at best, and right on cue, Kyungsoo felt the tears sliding beneath his collar.

He sighed. "You and Baekhyun apologize too much."

This laugh had a little more color to it. "I don't doubt it. It's just really hard to comprehend...all I've wanted for as long as I can remember is him. I didn't expect—" He gently pushed Kyungsoo back to look at him. Kyungsoo immediately wiped at Jongdae's cheeks. "He really said...?"

"He said..." Kyungsoo bumped their noses. "He said you two were inevitable. That he was tired of fighting it. That it's only a matter of time before you both give in, right?" The way Jongdae's glistening eyes peered up at him was somehow both pitiful and endearing. "You should talk to him."

Jongdae nodded, hands resting over Kyungsoo's on his face. "I will."

"Do I...really fit into this, Jongdae?" Kyungsoo asked. Weakness slipping through the cracks. "What you two have is so big, and—complex. I really don't want to complicate things more."

Jongdae's hands fell to Kyungsoo's thighs, and Kyungsoo caught the tear that slipped down his cheek. “You have to understand,” Jongdae said, staring down at one of his hands. “This makes no sense for us. Baek and I have always avoided what we have because of our families, as you know...it just...it makes no sense for us to commit to this, to you, to each other, after all this time, even though I've wanted it so badly. But...I can  _ feel _ how much Baek wants this, you, that something’s changed.” He shook his head. "Something has shifted, and it's big, and it's scary, but it's making Baekhyun charge forward and—"

"What about what  _ you _ want?"

“That’s the scary part,” Jongdae said, voice nothing more than a whisper. “In the scheme of things, like knowing Baekhyun my  _ entire _ life, I barely know you. Yet I’ve never wanted something more. For us three to work. You change everything, and it’s truly fucking terrifying.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He agreed completely.

"I just don't know how to explain it. Like, I think about those two times he almost bit you, and just...don't know what it means. That used to happen to us, during ruts, when Minseok and Yixing weren't around to help. It would be just us and our instincts would be haywire and we would get so close to biting each other before one of us snapped out of it. But we—" Jongdae took a breath. "We learned how to hold back, I guess. But that day in the elevator, when I realized what he was about to do...Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo swallowed. "Yeah. I-I know. Chanyeol explained that it wasn't...normal. I didn’t realize until then—“

“No, definitely not normal. I still don’t understand it, and maybe part of me still gets a little jealous when I think about it too hard, but if Baekhyun’s wolf wants to mate you, it’s serious. We’re serious. We’re in this.”

“Are you sure you...want me? You aren’t just doing this because you think you have to?”

A noise slipped through Jongdae’s lips, of hurt, frustration maybe, and Kyungsoo would feel bad about it if Jongdae hadn’t crashed their mouths together like he had something to prove. Instead, Kyungsoo melted into him, becoming one with him, cupping Jongdae’s face in both of his hands and giving as much as he was getting. 

It was always interesting, when he thought too hard about it, how Jongdae’s touch wasn’t electrifying in the same way Baekhyun’s was. It didn’t cause a physical reaction, a physical, buzzing feeling, but  _ fuck,  _ did it still light a fire in Kyungsoo’s veins. He still  _ craved  _ Jongdae’s touch so, so much.

“I want you,” Jongdae said, a belated answer, panting, hands electric as they slid up in tandem, riding Kyungsoo’s sweatshirt up his back. He pressed Kyungsoo closer, trembling fingers pressing into his skin for purchase. “I want you so fucking bad.”

Kyungsoo could only respond by taking Jongdae’s bottom lip between his teeth, gently groaning when Jongdae instantly began licking at him, begging for another taste.

Kyungsoo thought maybe they were all a little tired, because things only escalated from there. They were merely a game of push-and-pull, reddening each other’s lips with frantic bites, making them swell, crotches grinding in a harried rhythm until they were half-hard, and then so erect Kyungsoo  _ ached. _

“Please, Dae,” he whispered, letting out a breathy groan when Jongdae’s hands slid beneath his sweatpants and underwear to grip his bare ass, pulling him into a firmer grind. He was drunk on mental exhaustion and Jongdae’s mouth. “I want you...to fuck me. Just like this.”

“Fuck.” Jongdae surged forward, like he planned to capture anymore dirty words that dared to fall from Kyungsoo’s mouth with his teeth. “It’s risky, Soo, but fuck—“

“I trust you,” Kyungsoo said, because it was true. Jongdae had said himself that it was Baekhyun who would have trouble controlling his knot, not Jongdae. “And I want it so much,  _ please.” _

Jongdae whimpered, eyes flashing red before he sucked on Kyungsoo’s lips, and dug his fingers harder into Kyungsoo’s ass. It was painful enough that he knew it would leave bruises, but the thought of Jongdae marking him in such a way, fingerprints branded into his skin because of sheer  _ desire,  _ made Kyungsoo’s cock jump with a sudden spike of pleasure.

“Fuck, I can feel how much you want—“

“Please, Jongdae.”

It was clearly the magic word, making Jongdae’s red eyes appear again. “Take off your pants,” he instructed, his Alpha tone layered beneath it. It may not have had the ability to  _ make _ Kyungsoo obey, but it still sent chills rolling across his skin. He nodded, and Jongdae scrambled to make them both stand up. “I have to get the lube. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Like I would,” Kyungsoo muttered, stumbling out of his pants. Jongdae was already gone, but Kyungsoo knew he could still hear him.

He’d just stepped out of his boxers when Jongdae swept back into the room, pulling Kyungsoo back to the couch in such a fluid motion, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he ever actually got up from Jongdae’s lap. He wasn’t even sure when Jongdae took off his own pants. Apparently neither of them were worrying about their shirts.

A low groan forced its way up Kyungsoo’s throat when Jongdae wrapped a hand around his dick, slowly stroking it, and Kyungsoo knocked their foreheads together.

“Are you sure you want it, Soo?” Jongdae was asking, but his hand was so goddamn distracting. “Should we talk more?”

“We can talk more later,” Kyungsoo said. “I just wanna not-talk for a while.” With that, he dragged his mouth down, letting it catch on Jongdae’s lips but not stopping for a kiss. He only stopped when he was at the junction of Jongdae’s neck and shoulder, deciding he wanted to be the one biting for a change. He sunk his blunt teeth into Jongdae’s neck, and Jongdae moaned, hips bucking beneath Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo licked the indents his teeth left behind. “Come on,” he urged, scraping his teeth along Jongdae’s skin. “I wanna feel you.”

“Fuck. Fuck, okay.” Jongdae nodded, breathless, and Kyungsoo heard him pop the cap on the lube. Relief flooded his system before Jongdae even got his first finger inside him.

Kyungsoo had half a mind to keep quiet, to not wake Baekhyun, but it didn’t stop the consistent moans under his breath as Jongdae worked him open, even when Kyungsoo kissed him to try and muffle himself. It was only when he was bouncing on four of Jongdae’s fingers that Jongdae finally showed him mercy, removing his fingers with a  _ squelch _ and tangling them in Kyungsoo’s sweatshirt as Kyungsoo aligned himself with Jongdae’s messily lubed cock.

“Oh, god,” Kyungsoo groaned. He knew both the wolves were... _ growers, _ even before the knots, but he was still surprised at the burn of the stretch after taking four fingers. The thought only seemed to make precome leak from his cock, though, so he surged forward to kiss whatever concern Jongdae was about to spew.

Kyungsoo  _ really _ didn’t want to talk right now.

Despite the urgency with which they started, this part was slow, drawn out, Kyungsoo’s fingers interlocked behind Jongdae’s neck for purchase as he rolled his hips slow and hard on each thrust. Jongdae’s human teeth scraping against his neck, his human nails scratching down his back, grips slipping as they dripped in sweat, breaths hot as they moaned into each other’s mouths.

Jongdae peeled them out of their sweat-sticky t-shirts when Kyungsoo was too far gone to care, but he still gasped at the rush of air on his hot skin. Or maybe because Jongdae immediately attached his mouth to Kyungsoo’s nipple. Kyungsoo adjusted his grip from Jongdae’s neck to his shoulders, nails digging in and making Jongdae gasp next. Kyungsoo threw his head back, skin starting to tingle with the very first signs of impending release.

“Fuck, you don’t even know how good you feel,” Jongdae panted, fingers once again digging into Kyungsoo’s ass, this time controlling the way Kyungsoo dragged over his cock. It was fucking intoxicating. Kyungsoo was so close.

“Ditto,” was all Kyungsoo could manage to say, that one word breaking off into a moan because it was all Kyungsoo could do. All he could feel was the pleasure coursing through him, the pleasure building in his groin so immensely despite Jongdae having not touched him since fingering him. “Jongdae,” he sighed.  _ “Dae.” _

“I know. I know. Come on, baby.”

Jongdae’s grip tightened even more, but only for him to start fucking his hips up into Kyungsoo, upping the pace, the sharpness. It made Kyungsoo dizzy, enough to think that if he let go of Jongdae, he would fall right off his lap. Though he somehow knew Jongdae would always catch him.

All Kyungsoo needed was the lightest touch, so he gave it to himself. He wrapped his hand around his dick as his entire body reverberated with the force of Jongdae’s quick thrusts. One stroke, two strokes, third time was the charm. He cried out, coming between them, vaguely aware that Jongdae was manhandling him until his back was on the couch, Jongdae’s nose buried in his neck as he relentlessly chased his own release.

Jongdae chanting his name drew Kyungsoo from the brink of blacking out, and he dragged Jongdae by the hair, up, up, until Kyungsoo could kiss him senseless, purposely clamping around Jongdae’s cock.

“Your turn, Dae, come on,” he urged. “Don’t hold out on me now.”

_ “Fuck.” _ Jongdae’s hips stuttered and he quickly pulled out of Kyungsoo, making them both whine, but Kyungsoo was ready for it all the same, wrapping his hand around Jongdae’s cock before Jongdae could, stroking him to the finish, letting him come all over Kyungsoo’s stomach and chest.

Jongdae plopped down onto him, knocking the breath from him, but Kyungsoo knew it was an attempt at being discreet, so Jongdae could rub their come into the both of them for the sake of scenting. Kyungsoo idly stroked his fingers through Jongdae’s sweaty hair, close to drifting asleep just like that despite the mess and the growing inability to breathe.

It wasn’t until they were in the shower together, rinsing off the come and sweat— _ no scrubbing allowed _ —when Jongdae asked, “What did you ask to come over for anyway? Before shit hit the fan?”

Kyungsoo made a noise of mild surprise. “I guess, in a way, for what happened anyway.”

“What?” Jongdae snorted. “To sit on my precious dick?”

Kyungsoo shoved him, rolling his eyes but relishing in Jongdae’s sweet laugh. “I mean, yeah, but no. I, um...Chanyeol expressed concerns, I guess, about not really knowing how things worked between humans and wolves long-term. Like for...uh, long-term.” He didn’t know why he couldn’t bring himself to say  _ mating, _ but he figured Jongdae probably knew exactly what he meant. “So I looked into it, I dunno.”

“Oh, Soo, not the internet—”

“Yeah, a lot of it was bad, but…” Kyungsoo pressed into the hand that cupped his cheek under the shower spray. “I ended up finding a lot of good that debunked it. Stuff that showed me it was possible to be with you guys, really be with you, and—I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to tell you that I was all in. That I wanted to try.”

He didn’t realize he had closed his eyes until the surprise of Jongdae’s lips pressing to his washed over him. He tangled his fingers in Jongdae’s hair to hold him there for just an extra moment. Jongdae was smiling when they pulled away.

“We should look into some of that together, yeah? We don’t know much about it either. It’s another reason the idea of Baek biting you freaked me out so much. You hear stuff, y’know. About humans dying from a single bite…”

“Apparently those stories aren’t true. Traditionalist urban legends, if you will.”

Jongdae’s mouth dropped open in an ‘o’ of surprise.

“But we can talk about that another time. Right now all I care about is getting in bed with you and Baekhyun and sleeping for a bit.”

Jongdae’s mouth softened into a smile. “Okay, baby. Come on.”

Just this once, Kyungsoo let Jongdae baby him, swaddle him in a fluffy towel and all but carry him to the bedroom. They both climbed into bed naked, sandwiching Baekhyun in. He blinked blearily at each of them before snuggling under Jongdae’s arm without a word, pulling Kyungsoo around the back of him. Kyungsoo wasn’t even sure he’d actually woken up.

Regardless, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	6. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo falls ill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 5.2k

_"I wanna try, Dae. I'm just scared."_

_"So am I, honey. So is Soo. It's okay."_

The sheets rustled, and Kyungsoo stirred, but he couldn’t open his eyes. Even as the slow, smacking sound of lips filled his ears.

_"I'm sorry I couldn't get home sooner. I was so worried about you."_

_"It's okay. Soo was here. He took really good care of me."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Mm-hmm. I told him about the antibiotics. For Bane."_

_"You took some?"_

Baekhyun's voice quieted even more. _"Yeah. It-It's fine."_ At Jongdae's silence, he continued, _"I sort of...went into autopilot, I think. I showed him my mouth."_

_"Oh, baby."_

_"I didn't realize I was doing it until he was telling me it was okay, I didn't have to prove that I took them—"_

_"You don't have to, Baek. You know that."_

_"I know. It's just hard to move past what Alpha used to do, sometimes."_

_"Used to? Baek. The last time he sicced the pack on you for drinking Bane at dinner was a year ago."_ Sniffles. _"It took almost a week for you to fully heal."_

 _"How are we gonna do this, Jongdae?"_ Baekhyun was crying, and Kyungsoo wanted to reach out, but he was drifting. _"We can't get away from him."_

_"We'll figure it out. One step at a time. Together."_

_More sniffling. "The three of us."_

_"Yeah. The three of us."_

Sleep pulled Kyungsoo back under.

Then, right back up again. Seconds, minutes, hours later, he wasn’t sure.

_"I love you so much. I love you so fucking much."_

Sighs echoed in Kyungsoo's ears, floating him closer toward the edge of consciousness.

_"Me too, baby. I've always loved you. You know that."_

_"I do. I do. Agh—more, please, Dae. More."_

Kyungsoo peeled his dry eyes open to find Jongdae blanketed over Baekhyun's glistening body, Baekhyun's back arching prettily off the bed, lip caught between his teeth. His nails left visible red scratches in their wake along Jongdae's back.

And, well. That was one way to be woken up.

He rode the wave of grogginess, shuffling across the space between them and dragging one of Baekhyun's hands to the bed, lacing their fingers. He didn’t want to disturb them, but still, he couldn't help just _being._

Baekhyun's eyes were a dangerous mix of brown and red when his head fell to stare at Kyungsoo, and then Jongdae did too, eyes almost identical. "Sorry for waking you," he rasped around a deep thrust that pushed a mewling moan from Baekhyun's diaphragm.

"You don't sound very sorry," Kyungsoo muttered, but he grinned lazily to show he didn't care, caressing Baekhyun's hand with his thumb, bringing it to his lips to kiss.

"Come here, Soo," Baekhyun almost whined. "We can—you can fuck my mouth, or-or ride my— _ah_ —face—"

Kyungsoo only shook his head, leaning over their clasped hands to press a chaste kiss to the corner of Baekhyun's mouth. "This is your time," he murmured. "I don't want to take away from that." Before they could protest, he shook his head again. "Can I just watch? I just wanna see you both like this." More than anything, almost, he'd just wanted to see them kiss. He'd wanted to watch their love bloom between them.

"Really?" Baekhyun asked, voice small. He squeezed Kyungsoo's hand.

"You wouldn't be getting in our way—"

"You know I wasn't lying, Dae. Just let me see you."

"Fuck, that's...hot," Jongdae responded.

Baekhyun's face flushed redder than Kyungsoo had ever seen it. He used their hands to stroke his warm cheek. "Don't hold back, love."

Baekhyun whined, but nodded.

It had been beautiful, for lack of a better word, to watch them lose themselves in each other, Baekhyun only squeezing Kyungsoo's hand and stealing messy kisses when he was too wound up to do anything else. He'd clearly been trying to hold out as long as he could, wanting to soak it in. Kyungsoo wondered if Baekhyun worried it was only a one time thing, to have Jongdae outside of their ruts, like true lovers.

Despite not being concerned with his own inevitable erection, content to just go back to sleep, Baekhyun had lunged at him, kissing him, sure, but more eager to sink down, until he was taking all of Kyungsoo's length at once.

Kyungsoo shuddered, too torn between watching Baekhyun swallow him down, and watching Jongdae lick the dripping come from Baekhyun's thighs.

Overall, it wasn’t the worst dilemma.

"You're drooling."

Kyungsoo jolted upright in his bed, the memory of watching Baekhyun and Jongdae three nights ago fading instantly. "How the _fuck_ are you so large yet so quiet?" He looked down at his lap to attempt to be discreet about wiping his mouth. Chanyeol wasn't even fucking with him, he was _actually_ drooling. Jesus.

Chanyeol snickered. "Drooling."

"I was sleeping!"

"Please, you've been awake for an hour."

Kyungsoo groaned, falling back into his bed and dragging a pillow over his face. "Fucking wolves, I swear to god."

"Listen, bud, it's not my fault that the second you decided to find new people you like enough to hang out with, it was more wolves." He plopped down in the open space of Kyungsoo's bed, still chuckling. "I'm guessing it was them making you drool, huh?"

"Stop talking about the drooling, jesus fuck."

"Aww, Soo." Kyungsoo grunted when Chanyeol rolled on top of him, long, octopus limbs wrapping around him. "Do you miss them already?"

_"Stop."_

"Oh no, Kyungsoo's _whining,_ I think he does miss them!"

"Stop talking to your invisible audience and get off me you oaf."

"And miss out on cuddling you? Never."

Kyungsoo yanked the pillow from his face, glaring up at Chanyeol. "Are we cuddling, or are you suffocating me?"

Chanyeol cooed, clearly in the mood to be _extra_ obnoxious today. "Who says I can't do both?"

"Just put me out of my misery already."

Chanyeol sniffled, melodramatic as always. "But then who would I do stuff like this with?"

"Yixing."

"But Yixing doesn't like it when I do this!"

Kyungsoo groaned, but it melted into a begrudging laugh, as it always did with Chanyeol. He just had that effect on people, and maybe he had sensed something Kyungsoo hadn't realized he was feeling after all, and had come in to soothe it away. "Yeollie, you're such a pest."

"I'd take you seriously but you only call me Yeollie when you're fond, so thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

Chanyeol finally rolled off of him, and Kyungsoo inhaled deeply just to be equally dramatic. Chanyeol half-heartedly whacked his stomach with the back of his hand. "How long are they gonna be gone, again?"

Kyungsoo sighed. It had turned out the unexpected call from Baekhyun's father had been to let Baekhyun and Jongdae know their upcoming two-day trip home would need to be extended to a week, as two members of the pack were expecting a pup early. Jongdae said they'd nearly forgotten about the original trip, with everything going on, so they were all a little sullen to realize they'd be separated for an entire week—longer really—so soon after deciding to get more serious with each other.

Kyungsoo wondered if maybe it was a good thing, to give everyone space to clear their heads.

Though not at the expense of Baekhyun and Jongdae's mental health. Two days in the hell they described was bad enough, and now they would be stuck there for a week.

He looked at Chanyeol, frowning. "A week. Five more days."

"Ah." Apparently, Chanyeol was all out of teasing words, which just made Kyungsoo worry over what the fuck he was projecting. Chanyeol pulled him into his arms, letting Kyungsoo rest his head on his chest. "It'll be okay. We'll spend lots of time together and you won't even notice the time passing!"

Kyungsoo chuckled. "Thanks, but don't leave Yixing out on my account."

"Again, who says I can't do both, silly?" Chanyeol ruffled Kyungsoo's hair with his nose. "Yixing was gonna come over late tonight, when his shift is over, and he's off tomorrow. Maybe we could hang out? Minseok too."

The idea didn't make Kyungsoo want to shrink into his personally-crafted hermit shell, so he easily agreed. "Sure. I do need to get some work done, though. So maybe I'll work through lunch and we can order in for dinner? Or—whatever works best for you guys, it doesn't matter."

"That sounds great," Chanyeol said, sounding awfully pleased. It only hit Kyungsoo in that moment that he'd hardly seen Yixing since the night they met. He’d mostly greeted him by the coffeepot around lunchtime when they were both only half-awake. He felt bad; of course Chanyeol wanted them to spend time together as a group.

Kyungsoo poked his chest. "Just let me know what you guys want. I can just pick something up on the way home."

"Thanks, Soo."

Their grips on each other tightened, a mutual hug if such a thing could exist lying down. "You seem happier, lately."

Chanyeol hummed. "So do you, you know." Kyungsoo closed his eyes at the feeling of Chanyeol's lips on his forehead. "Even after they revealed they're literally part of a cult."

"Yeol, that's not fair."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that—it just worries me y'know. We both know how those families are."

Kyungsoo nodded. "Yeah. I know. I'm just so—"

"Deep. You're in so deep already." Kyungsoo sighed. "I can sense it in you, y'know. Not just smell it. How much you care about them."

"Yeah..."

"It's still weird...how deep Baekhyun's scent lingers. Almost like he has a legitimate claim over you, even though you haven't mated."

Huh. Kyungsoo frowned. "Really? Is that weird?"

"A little. But I mean, maybe it's just how much time he spends cuddling you. The clingy bastard. Maybe they think my scent is the same way. I dunno."

"Oh. Yeah, maybe."

"Wanna watch Netflix and eat a bunch of food that's bad for us?"

"Definitely."

Chanyeol did a good job as the week progressed, keeping Kyungsoo occupied between the sparse texts he received from his boyfriends keeping him updated that they were okay. The updates didn't stop him from worrying though, from feeling the torment of knowing they were suffering two hours away and there was nothing he could do about it. His brain was also unhelpful in reminding him that they could be completely _not_ okay, and he would have no way of knowing, being their newest, best-kept secret.

No one would know to tell him.

The gross feeling grew, turning into anxious turmoil in his belly, but it was day five of seven of them being gone, that Kyungsoo woke up so nauseous he couldn't even stand up on his own.

"Y-Yeol?" he tried to call out. He had no idea if it was loud enough.

Luckily Chanyeol's super-hearing still picked up his voice, and he came barreling into Kyungsoo's bedroom with a sleep-puffy Yixing in tow. Chanyeol was at his side in the blink of an eye, arm supporting his weight and helping him stand.

"Soo," Chanyeol said, voice dripping in panic. "What's wrong?"

"Bathroom. Hurry."

"Fuck, okay."

Together, Chanyeol and Yixing carried him to the bathroom, and Kyungsoo broke away from them to fall to his knees at the toilet and puke into it, not doing much but emptying his stomach of acid. He couldn't see through the reflex tears in his eyes; only felt a cool glass press to his lips and tip water between them.

"Drink slowly, Kyungsoo," Yixing was saying. "There you go."

It hurt to swallow the water, in fact most of it was spilling onto his shirt, but at the same time, the little that he was drinking did feel decent on his burning throat. He coughed, splattering water everywhere, and the glass disappeared, replaced by a soft towel dabbing at his face and chest.

"Yeollie, go fix some of that soup in the cabinet. I have a couple of herbs in my bag. Get the green one and add it."

"O-Okay."

"It's okay, Yeollie."

Kyungsoo nodded, or tried to. "'M okay, Yeol."

Chanyeol whimpered, but his footsteps scurried away anyway.

"Hey, Kyungsoo?" Gentle fingers grabbed his face, and Kyungsoo struggled to focus on Yixing's handsome features. "Can you explain how you feel to me? Your symptoms?"

"Uh." He pressed a hand into his stomach. "Nauseous. So nau—I think I'm gonna...again..." He leaned back over the toilet, but all he could manage was uncomfortable dry heaving. "Fuck, this sucks," he wheezed.

"Here," Yixing gently said. "Drink a little more water."

Kyungsoo nodded and did as he was told. It was a little easier this time, so when he swallowed everything, he tried speaking again. "I'm really queasy...and my chest? Feels heavy. I don't know how to explain it. My head is killing me too."

Yixing nodded along with his words, hand pressing to his forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever, but you do smell sick. Maybe it's something you ate?"

Kyungsoo shrugged. "Not like we'd know for sure. We all ate from the same place but you guys have the privilege of—" He heaved behind his hand, but didn't bother turning toward the toilet again.

"We don't get food poisoning, yes. At least not the human kind..." Yixing's eyebrows were furrowed as he moved his hand to Kyungsoo's throat, gently cupping it like he'd be able to feel the burning of it. Then his hand pressed to Kyungsoo's chest, his stomach.

"What are you doing?" Kyungsoo weakly asked.

Yixing moved back up to his head, back down to his chest. He shook his head. "Trying to help, but I don't think it's working."

"Help...?"

Yixing met his eyes for a brief moment, and when Kyungsoo swallowed, it was a little easier than before. "Some wolves have enhanced abilities. You remember Seulgi?"

"How could I forget?"

Yixing chuckled. "Well like that. Mine is healing."

"Healing..."

"Yes. Nothing major. I can make wounds stop bleeding, at best, but I'm able to sometimes draw a bit of an illness into myself, which my wolf blood destroys. It offers some relief."

Kyungsoo swallowed again. "Oh. I mean, my throat feels better?"

Yixing smiled. "Well there's that at least. How about your head?"

Still pounding. He shrugged, and Yixing nodded. "I don't know what it would be other than food poisoning," he reasoned. "You've been with us for the past 24 hours at least, and we can't pass anything to you. The only outside factor is food."

"You're the doctor."

Chanyeol poked his head in, dark hair sticking up in every direction and eyes too wide. He exhaled, though, when he saw Kyungsoo more coherent. "Soup's almost heated up," he said, then slipped all the way into the room. He knelt down next to Kyungsoo and rubbed his back. Kyungsoo was too weak to not press into the touch. "How are you feeling, bub?"

"Like shit."

"Appropriate, since we're in the bathroom."

Kyungsoo laughed, which turned into a cough. "Idiot."

Chanyeol pouted. "You scared me."

"I know." Kyungsoo sighed. "I'm sorry. I was scared too, for a sec."

 _"That's_ what scared me."

Yixing nodded. "We could sense it from Chanyeol's room." He was still pressing his hands to various parts of Kyungsoo's body. Kyungsoo didn't know if his head was actually hurting less, or if he was just imagining it, because Yixing was trying to make it that way. Yixing turned to Chanyeol. "I think it's food poisoning, Yeollie."

Chanyeol frowned. "But we eat there literally all the time."

"That's what I was thinking," Kyungsoo muttered. He reached for the glass of water on the floor next to him, but the second Yixing saw his trembling fingers, he held it up for him again.

Yixing gave them his best _I don't know_ face. "Stuff happens. It could've been a sick employee, or a bad batch of meat. Anything to offset the balance of Kyungsoo's body."

Chanyeol nodded like that made perfect sense, and Kyungsoo supposed it did. It just didn't feel _right._ But Yixing wasn't wrong when he said it was the only real possibility. He hadn't even gone out to get the food last night; Yixing had offered because he wanted to stretch his legs.

"Do you think you can stand?"

Kyungsoo blinked out of the haze drifting over his thoughts. "Probably, yeah."

But the wolves helped him anyway, which turned out to be necessary when Kyungsoo's knees immediately gave out beneath him. "Soo!" Chanyeol panicked, catching him before he could really fall.

"Ow," Kyungsoo muttered.

"Did I hurt you?!"

"No." Kyungsoo sighed. "I just realized how bad my knees hurt."

Yixing nodded, urging them forward so they could move into the living room. "You hit the ground pretty hard when we made it to the bathroom. _That_ I can actually help you with. We just need to get you settled on the couch."

Which they did, Chanyeol immediately running to check on the soup, and Yixing going to fetch more water and pain medicine when Chanyeol got back. "Do you want me to get your phone?" Chanyeol asked, smoothing Kyungsoo's hair over his head. Kyungsoo shook his head. "You don't want to tell Jongdae and Baekhyun?"

"What? That I have food poisoning?"

"They'd wanna know." Chanyeol frowned. "And maybe it'd give them an excuse to come back early—"

"No. That's exactly why I shouldn't tell them. Even if they can't, they'll _try,_ and I think that alone would get them in trouble."

"Kyungsoo's right," Yixing said as he walked back in with a sigh. He set the water and meds on the coffee table. "They're stubborn. It's best not to worry them unless Kyungsoo gets worse. We'll take good care of him for them, won't we, pup?" He combed his fingers through Chanyeol's hair, and Kyungsoo was stricken with the affection of it. God, okay, he missed Baekhyun and Jongdae. He missed _his_ wolves. But it still didn't mean he would tell them he was sick.

Chanyeol was beaming under the attention. "Of course we will. They won't even know he was sick by the time they get back!"

Those were fighting words, considering that day seven of seven started and ended with Kyungsoo stuck on the couch, not puking or achey, but too nauseous to do anything other than sit up to eat gentle foods and drink water, and then lay right back down.

He didn't even know what time it was, cocooned in the thickest blanket they owned, when Jongdae found him like that.

 _"Kyungsoo,"_ he breathed out, like he was relieved, and Kyungsoo squinted up at him, struggling to focus on his face. Which was unfortunate, because Kyungsoo had really missed his face. He wasn't even sure Jongdae was really there, in front of him. But then warm, familiar hands pressed against his skin, and Kyungsoo shuddered at the familiarity of it. "What the fuck, Soo?"

"Hey to you too," Kyungsoo said, or croaked, more likely. "Why are you cursing me out the second you see me?"

"Kyungsoo, I haven't heard from you in days, and I thought we were gonna meet up today, and—"

Kyungsoo frowned. "What time is it?"

"Like one in the morning."

"Oh shit. Jongdae. I'm so sorry. I—last time I checked the clock it was still daytime. I don't even know where my phone is. Ah, I'm sorry—"

"It's okay, it's okay," Jongdae reassured, thumbs stroking his cheeks. "I was just worried. Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"'Cause that. Didn't wanna worry you." Kyungsoo let his eyes fall shut. The room always started to spin if he kept them open too long. "How did you get in?"

Jongdae sounded sheepish as he said, "It was unlocked."

Kyungsoo mustered the energy to _tsk_ him. "Breaking and entering, Jongdae Kim?"

"I was worried okay?" Jongdae weakly defended himself. Kyungsoo sighed at the feeling of Jongdae's lips against his forehead. "And I could smell—Kyungsoo's what's wrong?"

"Dunno. Yixing thought food poisoning, but I’m taking a while to recover. Not throwing up anymore, though, which is nice."

Jongdae was oddly silent, enough to make Kyungsoo peel his eyes open. Jongdae seemed to shake himself. "Why don't I take over for Xing and Chanyeol, huh?" Kyungsoo just nodded. "Come home with me, yeah?"

Kyungsoo just didn't care to argue. "Okay. If you’re sure.”

Jongdae softened, petting his hair. “Of course, baby.”

It wasn't until Kyungsoo had been carried to Jongdae's car, still wrapped in his blanket and with a bag of necessities and more of Yixing's herbs in the backseat, that he realized Baekhyun wasn't there. Jesus, he was _really_ out of it. He'd missed Baekhyun so much. The realization washed over him in the form of a new wave of nausea, and he leaned out of his seat, opening the car door just in case, hoping it would pass. Jongdae found him that way, just barely hanging on, and rushed to kneel on the ground beneath him, hands steadying Kyungsoo's weak arms.

"Hey, hey, baby. I've got you."

Yixing was behind him. "Dae, if they're both—"

"Yixing not now."

"I should come over tonight."

Jongdae's quaking breath hit Kyungsoo's cheek. "In the morning, Xing."

Kyungsoo was carefully bundled back into the car, door shut against him, and he couldn't make out the hushed voices arguing outside of it. He drifted in and out, only coming to when he felt Jongdae squeeze his knee. Kyungsoo looked around. They were driving. Almost to Jongdae and Baekhyun's apartment, it seemed.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. "Where's Baek?"

Jongdae glanced at him, lifting his hand from Kyungsoo's knee and wrapping it around the back of his neck instead. The pressure felt nice. "He's at home, babe. Sleeping. We're almost there." Kyungsoo nodded and Jongdae cleared his throat. He glanced at Kyungsoo periodically for the rest of the drive.

"Come on. Into bed," Jongdae said the second they were inside the apartment door.

Really, he didn't have to tell Kyungsoo twice. He sighed, nodding and letting Jongdae help him into the bedroom. "'M glad you guys can't catch whatever I have," he murmured.

His heart leapt at the sight of a familiar lump in the covers, and with the most energy he'd had in days, he climbed into bed without Jongdae's help, bringing his own blanket with him still and wrapping it around Baekhyun too. Maybe they were bundled too tightly to be considered comfortable, but Kyungsoo just needed every inch of their bodies touching, because he'd _missed_ Baekhyun so much. His entire being relaxed when he pressed his forehead against Baekhyun's warm neck. Kyungsoo sighed, a broken sound, and then sighed again when Baekhyun unconsciously wrapped his arms around him.

"What is it?" Jongdae asked, sounding breathless, but Kyungsoo was barely conscious.

"Relief..." he tried to say, but he wasn't sure the word made it past his throat, the buzzing of his skin lulling him into a deep sleep.

_Thump...thump...thump..._

Kyungsoo squinted against the sunlight streaming into the room across from him before rubbing his eyes, like that would help them adjust to the light. His head hurt, because that was the new normal of the past several days, and moving still made his insides feel like a slushie, but his throat no longer burned when he swallowed, and his chest wasn't so heavy it hurt to breathe.

Relief.

_Thump...thump...thump..._

This time, when Kyungsoo squinted, it was at the face less than a foot from his, eyes sunken but alert, watching him, a smile slowly growing on a pretty mouth. "Hey," Kyungsoo said. His throat may not have hurt anymore, but his mouth was dry as sandpaper. He reached his hand out instead of trying to say more, brushing weak fingers along Baekhyun's cheeks, into his hair.

 _Thump-thump-thump._ Kyungsoo croaked out a laugh. It was Baekhyun's tail thumping the bed, wagging. Happy. "Fuck, I missed you," Kyungsoo whispered.

He had never seen someone pout so sadly on a still-so-happy face. "Me too," Baekhyun said. He sounded like he hardly had a voice either. Mornings, Kyungsoo supposed.

"Why are you still so far away, huh?" he asked, gently tugging on Baekhyun's human ear. "I'm not contagious to wolves."

Apparently that was all Baekhyun had been waiting for, because he instantaneously pounced, wrapping himself completely around Kyungsoo, nose buried in his neck. It was decidedly _much_ nicer than when Chanyeol did it. "Missed you," Baekhyun whined. "Need you."

"'M right here," Kyungsoo promised, hands unsure where to land. They wanted to touch all of Baekhyun, every inch. He finally settled on slipping them under his shirt, deciding skin-to-skin contact was the _absolute_ most satisfying.

Kyungsoo knew he was being dramatic when he felt like he could breathe again, like clean air was rushing into his lungs after a dust storm, but it didn't stop the thought from permeating his mind. He was friends with Chanyeol, after all. He was allowed one dramatic thought a week.

_"Hey."_

Kyungsoo turned his head to see Jongdae and Yixing easing into the room. He swore he caught a glimpse of familiar dark hair about a head taller than the rest, but he shook the thought. Chanyeol was still so nervous about going to Baekhyun and Jongdae's apartment. He wouldn't be there while Kyungsoo was asleep now.

Jongdae sat next to Kyungsoo's head, running his fingers first through Baekhyun's hair, then through Kyungsoo's. Kyungsoo hummed, pleased, even though he knew the sound would be ugly. "Hi," he said.

Jongdae's weirdly tense expression softened. "Hi, babe."

The bed dipped again, this time when Yixing sat next to Kyungsoo's hip. "How are you feeling, Kyungsoo?" he asked, sounding too much like the doctor he was for Kyungsoo's liking.

"I don't know," he hedged. "Thirsty."

Yixing nodded, and reached around Jongdae. When he sat back up, he was holding a glass of water. Kyungsoo, to his credit, tried to push himself up, but he could only do so much with a full-sized werewolf lying on top of him.

"Baek, come on, baby," Jongdae sighed. "You have to let him up. We talked about this."

It sounded like Baekhyun muttered, _My Soo,_ but even as close as he was, Kyungsoo couldn't really tell. He didn't have to ask, his questioning expression apparently enough.

"Baekhyun's a bit..." Jongdae started, but Yixing's sigh cut him off.

"Baekhyun is high right now. The only healing strain of Wolfsbane I could get my hands on on such short notice is basically the werewolf equivalent of marijuana."

"Oh...?"

Yixing shook his head. He was clearly stressed, but Kyungsoo could sense some of his usual fondness still there. "I gave him too much I think. At the moment, he's mostly reduced to his wolf side." He handed the glass of water to Jongdae, and Jongdae helped Kyungsoo tip his head forward enough to take a few small sips. "He hasn't been awake for long but we tried to explain that we would need to give you medicine too. But...all his wolf wants right now is you. It made that very clear when we tried to keep him from getting back in bed with you."

"I don't...understand..." Kyungsoo said. "Why did you give him medicine to begin with?"

"It'll wear off soon," Jongdae muttered, chewing on his lip. An answer for a question Kyungsoo didn't ask. He squinted up at Jongdae, but he only avoided his eyes.

Kyungsoo turned to Yixing, who stared at Jongdae for a long moment before finally smiling, a bit placating, at Kyungsoo. "Baekhyun got sick too."

"What? That doesn't make—"

"Sense. No, it doesn't. He had similar symptoms to you, somehow. But you both seem to finally be getting better."

"What is it...?"

Yixing hesitated before shrugging. "I took some basic samples while you two were out. But all I could really do without completely invading your privacy and without completely breaking the law by not having your permission was take a saliva sample."

"And?"

"Came back clean." Yixing shrugged again.

Kyungsoo frowned. "You must have got the samples in quick to already have results? How long does that even take?"

Yixing exchanged an indecipherable look with Jongdae. "About a day."

"But..."

A tall figure nervously loomed in Kyungsoo's peripheral, in the doorway. _Chanyeol._ He looked _sick_ with worry. Yixing gently cleared his throat. "You and Baekhyun both, er, once reunited, were out for roughly 36 hours."

 _"What?"_ Forgetting, for a moment, that he was holding a half-present Baekhyun in his arms, Kyungsoo tried to sit up, too fast for the weight on him, and too fast for his sick body. It didn't matter anyway; Baekhyun only reinforced his grip on him, gently growling against his neck. Possessive.

"We couldn't wake either of you up," Jongdae said, and Kyungsoo suddenly understood the tension in his face. "I was so—but you were both breathing, and healing, so I just—had to accept it."

Kyungsoo freed one of his hands from Baekhyun's shirt and reached up to touch Jongdae's face in a silent apology. The angle was awkward, but Jongdae seemed to appreciate the gesture anyway. "Is it related?" Kyungsoo quietly asked.

"It almost has to be," Yixing answered. "But I still have no idea. I've never seen anything like this."

"Wolves don't get sick," Kyungsoo muttered.

"Not easily, no." Yixing sighed. "It could still be food poisoning. A coincidence. I mean. It's not the first time Baekhyun's come home sick from the mansion, is it Jongdae?"

"No," Jongdae said, voice suddenly hard. "He's been purposely slipped Wolfsbane before."

"Jesus, Jongdae." Kyungsoo found his hand and grasped it tightly. He _hated_ that pack. "But we're getting better? At the same time?"

Again, Yixing hesitated. "Hard to really say? I mean, extreme food poisoning cases can last up to a week. You could both just be running the course of an extreme case."

"At the same time..."

Yixing groaned, and Chanyeol was at his side in an instant, encouraging Yixing to burrow beneath his arm. "I didn't say it was a solid theory. But right now it's all I have."

Clearly, no one in the room believed that theory was true.

That night, while Baekhyun slept with his face buried in Kyungsoo's armpit and Jongdae showered, Kyungsoo scrolled through the notifications on his phone, and saw a new video from Suho & Honey, posted a day ago.

**_QUESTIONS WE OFTEN GET AS MATES / SUHO &HONEY Q&A_ **

Chewing on his cheek, Kyungsoo watched the video on the lowest volume possible, mostly skipping from question to question, just _hoping_ someone would miraculously have a question as ridiculous as, _‘Do you know what it means when a wolf and human get sick at the same time with the same symptoms and then get better at the same time ha ha?’_ Because all Google had done was give him articles about airborne viruses, and he needed to _understand._

Of course, no one asked anything remotely close to that, so Kyungsoo sighed, idly clicking on the 'read more' tab in the description. Kyungsoo paused on the familiar text.

_As always, if you have any questions at all about human/wolf mating, shoot me a DM on Twitter! I do my best to answer everyone!_

"God fucking dammit," Kyungsoo muttered, closing out of the video and opening the app store. The download link for Twitter was on the home page. He clicked it.

It didn't take him long to set up an account, to follow Suho's account and click _direct message._

  
 **kyungsoo do:** **  
**_Hello Suho,_ _  
_ _My name is Kyungsoo, I'm a freelance writer and have just entered a relationship with two Alphas. I was wondering..._


	7. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo confronts his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 4k

**_suho [ & honey]_ ** **_  
_ ** _ Hello Kyungsoo! Thanks for reaching out! Sorry you had to make a Twitter to do it, haha, this is just the easiest way for me to keep up with messages! I’m also sorry this response has taken so long. The past week has been super busy for us!  _

_ I have to say, I’m pretty amazed that you’re in a relationship with two Alphas. And I thought one was tough lol! But even just the fact that two Alphas can get over their macho power trips to be together is truly astounding and beautiful. But you as a human must be so, so tired LOL. It sounds like you really care about them, though, which is so refreshing to see. You have no idea how many humans message me for advice on how to break up with their Alphas. It always makes me so sad. _

_ As for being “weirdly drawn to Baekhyun,” I don’t know...that’s pretty normal across the board? At least on the surface. It could be that his pheromones are reaching out just deep enough to affect a human, or it could just be typical love at first sight, if you will. _

_ The illness you mentioned is definitely...weird, but I have to agree with your doctor friend for now. I’d mark it as coincidence unless it happens again. It could be a number of things. The biggest reason I’m saying that though is because of that casual mention about your wolves coming from Traditional families. I don’t need to know more than that to know it means bad news for them. But! If it happens again, please let me know! Seriously. (Also I hope you’re both doing better now! Please let me know that as well!) _

_ How  _ are _ you guys managing it, btw? With your wolves being from a Traditional pack? Everything about your relationship breaks the rules (which is the greatest thing to see, I swear), so I’m just curious! You don’t have to answer if you don’t want. No pressure! Feel free to ask me anything else, too~ I can always tag Honey in too for a second opinion! _

_ Suho _

Kyungsoo’s eyes darted across his phone screen, over and over, reading Suho’s words again and again. His words didn’t offer much, but Kyungsoo was honestly shocked he even got a response, let alone one that was so nice.

His phone was plucked from his hands as fast as he blinked, lap suddenly occupied with a whiny wolf. Baekhyun’s soft thighs squeezed his hips, fingers crawled up his chest.

“Pay attention to me now,” Baekhyun murmured with a grin, nudging their noses.

Kyungsoo hummed, his own fingers dancing along Baekhyun’s thighs. Baekhyun was only in boxer briefs and an oversized t-shirt, and it did things to Kyungsoo’s heart. “I don’t know, Baek…”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Baekhyun sang, that same grin widening as his fingers slipped around Kyungsoo’s neck, gentling into his hair.

“Oh, well in that case.” Kyungsoo smiled and closed the gap between their mouths, swallowing up Baekhyun’s giggles and tackling him onto his back, making him shriek with joy.

Information could wait.

  
  


**_kyungsoo do:_ ** **_  
_ ** _ Suho, _ _   
_ _  
Thank you for responding to me. I really appreciate it. _

_ Baekhyun and I have been well for a little over a week now. After my first message to you, it was only maybe a day before he was back on his feet, and two before I was back on mine. We all assume his enhanced healing helped him out, there. We’ve been spending a lot of time together since—we even sit and work together now—but no recurring symptoms at all. In fact, I feel great. _

_ Jongdae has been distant, though. I think we really freaked him out. _

_ As for the stuff with their pack, I’m currently a secret. They both want to break away from them (have wanted to since before me) but haven’t figured out how to without putting themselves in danger. Baekhyun especially has been on thin ice for years, because his father tricked him into confessing he was in love with Jongdae. I hate knowing that I can’t do anything to help them, and hate even more that I could make it worse if the pack finds out, but they insist on keeping me around. Stubborn wolves. Our friend, at least, is a werewolf lawyer, so they do have someone looking into things, but from what I understand, even getting lawyers involved is tricky. _

_ Thanks again for responding. It’s hard to google this stuff when so much of the content out there about humans/wolves is so negative. Or just plain nonexistent, re: the sickness. _

_ Hope you and Honey are doing well. _

_ Kyungsoo _

_ P.S. Alpha pheromones can affect humans? _

**_suho [ & honey]  
_ ** _ Hey! _

_ I’m so glad to hear you and Baekhyun have fully recovered. I was worried about you guys these past few days! As for Jongdae, I would just give him some time to do some recovering of his own, and do plenty of reassuring that you guys are okay. I can only imagine how distraught he was while you two were sick. Even if he didn’t care deeply for you guys, his Alpha instincts would make him miserable over not being able to do anything to help (and that’s coming directly from Honey.) Most Alphas have this intense need to take care of their significant other(s). It’s both obnoxious and endearing, tbh. _

_ Haha, wolves in general are definitely stubborn, but yours certainly sound like keepers :’) That is rough, though. Their situation with their pack. I understand the trepidation. I’ve heard stories about Traditionalists hiring hitmen when lawyers get involved, too, which just...god. They’re the fucking worst. I’m sorry that they have to worry about that, and that you do too. I just hope you don’t dwell on it too much, when they clearly want you around so much! _

_ You don’t have to thank me! I was serious when I said most messages I get are from humans scared their Alpha will hurt them if they break up with them. It’s sad and exhausting. Talking with you is a breath of fresh air! This was exactly what I wanted when Honey and I started our channel. I want to help relationships like ours and yours succeed, and make connections with people in similar situations at the same time. It’s hard sometimes, being the only human in the room. So seriously, even if you just want to gush or rant about silly wolves, I’m all ears :D _

_ Suho _

_**suho [ & honey]**  
P.S. Yes, Alpha pheromones can permeate a human’s mind! They have to be strong/intense, though, and it depends on the power of the wolf. It’s never as effective as it would be with an Omega, or even a Beta, but it does happen. We can sort of...feed off of each other. It seems to happen most often during sex, though, of course. _

A chin tipped onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Whatcha doin’?”

Kyungsoo locked his phone and set it on the counter, he needed to pay attention to the food he was making anyway. He blindly reached up and poked Chanyeol’s cheek. “Cooking.”

“Nuh-uh.” Chanyeol poked him back. “You were talking to your mystery pen pal. Also,” he whined, “when are you going to tell me you’re on Twitter?! I’m tired of pretending I don’t know and being offended that you’re not following me!”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh, after a brief pause of disbelief. “Seriously, Yeol?”

“It has always been my dream to get you on social media.”

“Of all the dreams in the world.”

“I can have more than one!”

"Mm-hm."

Kyungsoo settled back into keeping an eye on the vegetables he was grilling, but even Chanyeol's silence was thick with curiosity. It was too stifling for Kyungsoo to hold his resolve.

He sighed. "You know those videos I watched a bit ago?"

"The one of the human and Alpha?" Kyungsoo nodded. "Are you talking to them?"

Kyungsoo tried not to be offended by how shocked Chanyeol sounded. "Just Suho. The human. Honey relays stuff sometimes? Whenever Suho is offering advice."

"How long have you been talking to them?"

Kyungsoo checked the rice, mindless to the way Chanyeol followed his every step, still clinging. He thought back to the first message he'd sent Suho. It had been a month now since he and Baekhyun woke up from their 36-hour slumber, and while the exchanges with Suho had been sparse at first, Kyungsoo felt like all he did now in his spare time was talk with Suho. They had expanded past advice and into some of that gushing and ranting Suho had asked for, though if there was one thing he and Suho had in common, it was that their ranting about possessive or bratty wolves always turned into more gushing.

Kyungsoo liked talking with Suho. He was chatty and cheesy, with a specialization in dad jokes that made Kyungsoo groan aloud, but he was  _ human. _ He was a human in a similar situation to him, and though Kyungsoo had been a bit indifferent to the idea that it would help to have someone like that at first, it was so refreshing to have someone who really understood his position more than any of the wolves ever could.

Before he could stop himself, Kyungsoo was telling Chanyeol all of that, about the things he and Suho talked about, about the advice and things Suho had given him. He talked until they were curled up on the couch, plates empty and bellies full. Chanyeol listened to all of it, gently probed, soft and fond as always and Kyungsoo basked in it, in sharing this new thing with Chanyeol.

And in turn, Kyungsoo asked how things were going with Yixing— _ "oh my god sooooo great, Soo!" _ —and listened when Chanyeol explained, cheeks bright red, that now Minseok sometimes joined them. "I like Minseok, too," he said. "But it's not the same as Yixing. Not for Min either. He's actually aromantic? Which I didn't know much about before, but I've learned a lot now. Gosh, they're both sooo smart. How did I get so lucky?"

Kyungsoo laughed, ruffling Chanyeol's hair between his ears. "You deserve it, pup."

Chanyeol flopped onto him, tail wagging graciously in the air. "I'm dating a doctor and we're both sleeping with a lawyer. Soo, do you think they'd let me quit my job and be my sugar daddies?"

Kyungsoo laughed so hard he and Chanyeol rolled onto the floor.

Which of course, was how Baekhyun and Jongdae found them, laughing at the sight without hesitation. Kyungsoo felt himself soften all over at the sight of their fondness, even moreso when they each bumped their foreheads with Chanyeol before dog-piling Kyungsoo and smothering him in greeting kisses.

Kyungsoo could no longer imagine his life any other way.

**_kyungsoo do:_ ** **_  
_ ** _ God, it makes me so happy that Chanyeol is less resistant to having two Alphas around now. He’s always been 100% supportive of me, his wolf was just always so tense when it came to the idea of him going to their apartment, or them coming to ours. But ever since Baek and I got sick, it’s like some kind of wall has come down. They don’t even have to announce they’re coming over anymore, they just show up, and Chanyeol is always so happy to see them. And, ugh, now Baek and Jongdae always greet him at home by bumping their foreheads together and it’s...really cute ;-;  _

**_suho [ & honey]_ ** **_  
_ ** _ Oh, oh that’s so sweet!!! I’m sure the mutual worry over you and Baekhyun brought everyone who was conscious during the mini-coma a lot closer together, y’know? And it’s not like Baekhyun doesn’t care about his love’s best friend, so it all just fell into place after you woke up. And, you know, maybe your Alphas are building their own pack after all, even if they don’t realize it, or still can’t separate from their families. The forehead thing is a very, very affectionate way pack leaders usually greet their pack, and especially the Omegas, according to Honey. Now I’m soft!!!! That’s so cute! _

The heated smile induced by the two mouths on his lips and neck, the hands sliding under his sweatshirt and cupping his crotch, fell clean off of Kyungsoo’s face when his phone rang on the coffee table in front of them.

“Ignore it,” Jongdae whispered in his ear, tongue following the path of his breath and making Kyungsoo squirm despite the anxiety riddling his gut.

It was Baekhyun who stopped, hands turning from hungry to reassuring on Kyungsoo’s skin. “It’s Seungsoo,” he quietly said.

Kyungsoo nodded, staring at the name flashing on the screen. Jongdae was paying attention now, fingers leaving Kyungsoo’s crotch and relocating to his hair. “Hey,” he said. “Kyungsoo, we’ve talked about this. There’s a part of you that still wants to reconnect, yeah?”

_ No. Yes. Maybe. _ He shrugged. “I don’t know what to say.”

Baekhyun kissed his cheek before pressing his forehead to his temple. "Maybe he doesn't know what to say either."

The phone stopped ringing, and Kyungsoo sighed. But Jongdae shook his head. "You still have a chance, babe. He always calls twice."

Kyungsoo's insides twisted into this weird, anxious, affectionate mess, because on one hand, Jongdae wasn't wrong, and Kyungsoo still had a decision to make. On the other, Jongdae, and Baekhyun too, probably, knew Seungsoo always called twice because they  _ paid attention. _ Because they cared about him. It was not the best moment to have such a loving revelation, but it did help ease his nerves.

"I know it’s hard to forgive and forget, trust me,” Baekhyun said. “But I still would give anything to have Jongdeok back in my life, despite everything. You know you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but consider it, maybe.” Right on cue, the phone started ringing again, and right on cue, it was harder to breathe. "We'll be right here the whole time if you want to talk to him, baby."

Kyungsoo nodded. Swallowed. Picked up the phone. The grips on him tightened comfortingly, but god he had never hated this ringtone more...

"Hello?"

Kyungsoo felt like his heart stopped, despite the fact he was the one to press answer, he was the one to speak first. No one else did that for him.

_ "Kyungsoo, brother." _

A rush of feelings washed over Kyungsoo at once simply at the sound of his brother's relieved voice. Most of it anger, embarrassment—which is probably why his wolves started kissing his shoulders simultaneously—but also... _ longing.  _ Sorrow, for what he'd really lost, maybe. He thought he'd been done with these feelings for years. It was almost enough on its own to regret picking up the phone.

_ "H-How are you, Kyungsoo?" _

Well, he did at least sound nervous, which was slightly comforting.

"I'm great," Kyungsoo said, unable to stop the sarcasm from bleeding into his voice despite how true the statement was. He'd never been happier, in fact.

_ "That's great! That's really—great. I'm glad to hear that, Soo." _

Kyungsoo bit back a remark about only people he cared about being allowed to call him by any kind of nickname, ignoring the memories of his mother always calling him Soo, and his brother  _ Seungie, _ which was always so cringe-worthy, but so full of affection all the same.

Jongdae's fingers in Kyungsoo's hair helped. He cleared his throat. "How are you?"

_ "I'm good, actually! Things have been um, pretty hectic around here lately." _ A dog barked in the background, like it wanted to prove his point. Kyungsoo fought the flashes of his father screaming at him for the entire neighborhood to hear, asking if Kyungsoo was  _ 'planning on fucking the house pet, next.' _ Kyungsoo shuddered, deep-rooted humiliation and anger boiling up within him until his gaze was ripped away from its fixation on the spot where he never should have picked up his phone. Now, he was staring into Baekhyun's eyes, the barest hints of red bleeding through. Like he wanted to use his Alpha power to calm Kyungsoo, but knew it wouldn't work.  _ I'm right here, _ he mouthed instead.  _ Focus on me. _

Jongdae's arms wound their way around Kyungsoo at the same time, burying his face in Kyungsoo's neck. He took a deep breath, and Baekhyun nodded, so he took another.

_ "...Kyungsoo?" _

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. "Sorry," he muttered, but he didn't even know what else to say. He knew this would be hard, but god  _ dammit. _

_ "Um. Hold on. I'll—I'll let him out—" _

Kyungsoo's mouth parted in protest, but he snapped it shut. Surely Seungsoo didn't know what had derailed Kyungsoo's focus. Baekhyun's fingers stroked his cheek, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

_ "Come on, bud. Let's go outside. Come on."  _ Nails clacking on the floor. A door shutting.  _ "Sorry, I didn't think—" _

"It doesn't matter," Kyungsoo shook his head. "I'm fine."

_ "I just—it was the last thing he said to you before he—before you—" _ Seungsoo sighed, while Kyungsoo tried not to just drop the phone and make a run for it.

"We've got you," Jongdae lifted his head to murmur directly against Kyungsoo's ear. "And you've got this. Just breathe, baby." Baekhyun nodded.

_ "I'm so sorry, Kyungsoo,"  _ Seungsoo blurted, and Kyungsoo froze.  _ "That's what I should've said the second you answered the phone. What I should've said...years ago. But before we talk anymore, if you still want to, I just. God, I'm so sorry. You were always more mature despite being younger but that still doesn't excuse the way I let Dad treat you like—" _

"It's fine. It's in the past."

_ "It's not fine. And that's the thing, Soo. It's okay if it's still not fine for you, too. It's okay if you want to yell at me, or-or punch me in the face, or anything like that. I would fucking let you. I understand. I want you to." _ Baekhyun was shaking his head, eyebrows pulling even closer together than before. Kyungsoo only felt the moisture under his eyes when Baekhyun wiped it away.  _ "It's also okay...if you really are fine. If you've completely moved on and don't want anything to do with me. I wouldn't blame you for a second. I'm just glad you picked up the phone at least once, so I could tell you that. You're my brother, Kyungsoo, always, and I'm sorry every day that I wasn't yours when it mattered most. I hope every day that you're happy with Chanyeol, and living your best life." _

"Chanyeol's not—we were never—" Kyungsoo blurted, because it was all his brain could pick out amidst the other words trying to drown him. "He  _ does _ make me happy. Every day. But he's only ever been my best friend. Nothing more. Or, no. That's not true. He's my family."

He didn't mean for his words to pack such a punch, but he heard the sound Seungsoo made. Like Kyungsoo  _ had _ physically punched him.

But  _ Chanyeol _ had clearly been the magic word, and he couldn't stop his words now, voice dangerously cracking as he said, "You guys didn't give me a choice. After mom died—he was the only other person I had. He was the only one I could turn to when Dad let the whole town know he thought I was a disgusting-piece-of-shit- _ whore _ for helping my friend who was  _ alone  _ and  _ scared  _ during his first heat. When he reduced Chanyeol to being the same as a fucking  _ dog. _

"Chanyeol was my best friend before all of that. But when he snuck me into his foster home room every night so I wouldn't have to sleep outside, when he only ate half his meals so I could have the rest, when the second he got a check when he turned eighteen, he took it and ran and brought me with him—" Kyungsoo was fully crying now, and the anger that he was wasting tears over this only spurred the sobbing on. "—he became the only family I had. For  _ years, _ it was just us, because our own blood relatives thought we were fucking worthless and disgusting—"

_ "You're not _ — _ Kyungsoo, I never thought that of you, I swear _ — _ fuck." _ Seungsoo was crying, too, and Kyungsoo didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. Seeing tears stream down Baekhyun's cheeks definitely,  _ definitely _ made him feel worse, though.  _ "I fucking idolized Dad, and I still don't know why. It's like I woke up one day and realized I'd been brainwashed my entire life. I thought he was a good person, I somehow believed that he knew everything, he knew best. He made me believe his bullshit about humans and werewolves needing to stay separated for fucking—global peace or whatever the fuck he thought. _

_ "But you were gone and something didn't sit right. I knew the things he said and did to you were overkill. But it wasn't until he died that I finally let myself learn more. I was always so scared of what I knew I'd find, that Dad had always been wrong and I stayed by his side for no good reason at all. But I owed it to you. Even though I knew you probably didn't care. I met some people who taught me—friends, my—I found my own family, too, Soo. I'm still learning every day, but I'm better than I was back then. I—" _

Kyungsoo tried to draw strength from Baekhyun and Jongdae's warmth, pressing his face into Baekhyun's neck and feeling the smallest amount of pressure release when Jongdae pressed his face into Kyungsoo's back, still doing his best to hug him.

"What do you want, Seungsoo?"

_ "I—"  _ The line was silent for a moment, long enough for Kyungsoo to start to feel bad about not acknowledging what Seungsoo said, but he was still processing. It's not that he didn't believe Seungsoo, because he mostly did, but forgiveness couldn't come so easily. Kyungsoo couldn't accept this so easily, even if he wanted to. His brother sighed.  _ "I'm selling the house. It's _ — _ It was left to me after Dad, but I...there's so much bad here. I finally decided to find somewhere new and put it up for sale. And I _ — _ I packed up all your old things. I wasn't sure if you..." _

"I'm surprised I even still have old things."

_ "Well, Dad wanted to burn it all." _

Kyungsoo shocked himself when he laughed, even if it was short. "That's not a surprise."

Seungsoo's answering chuckle was a little dry, but it still loosened something in Kyungsoo's heart.  _ "I begged him not to. It's about the only time I ever stood up to the bastard." _

Kyungsoo sniffled and chewed on his lip, zeroing in on the way he could tell Baekhyun had one hand in his hair, and the other in Jongdae's. "So you just wanted to tell me you're selling the house?"

_ "That. And to apologize. To explain, even though I know there are no excuses. To check on you. To-To tell you I have all these boxes of your things and that I foolishly hoped it would be enough to convince you to come here so I can see you again." _

Kyungsoo's eyes fell shut.  _ That _ he thought was too soon.

"I-I need time."

_ "As much as you need, Kyungsoo. Seriously. If you're not ready by the time the house is sold, I'll bring your stuff with me to the new house. No rush." _

"Don’t. I mean—my stuff. I don’t need any of it. I think it’s best if I don’t even...just donate it, maybe?

_ “Of course, Kyungsoo. Whatever you want. The invitation is still open, though.” _

Kyungsoo took a long, deep breath. “Thanks, Seungsoo. I mean it."

_ "Thank  _ you. _ I'm just glad to hear your voice again." _

"Me too."

Kyungsoo exhaled against Baekhyun’s skin when he hung up, surprised to realize that he wasn’t lying. He really was glad to hear Seungsoo’s voice again, despite the residual resentment that he knew would take time to fade.


	8. Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 1.8k [sobs. why so short]

**_suho [ & honey]_ ** _  
_ _How are things going with your brother, Kyungsoo? Is he still trying to get you to visit him? I hope you’re doing okay now. I know it was hard for a minute there. But I’m sure your Alphas have tried their best to help you through it. Honey always starts fretting the second I’m upset over something lol. Tries to build me a nest of blankets and feed me my favorite foods. It’s obnoxious, but always appreciated. I hope Baekhyun and Jongdae are doing that for you. I’m here for you, too, if you need anything._

_Ah, I got all sentimental and forgot what I was going to say at first! I just wanted to let you know I’ll be M.I.A. for a day or two within the next week, because Honey’s rut is coming up~ Speaking of, though, when will it be time for your Alphas? I know you mentioned they’re synced up._

**_kyungsoo do:_ ** _  
_ _Seungsoo and I have been texting a bit now. Getting to know each other, I guess? Again? It’s still hard for me to move past everything, but I think it’s getting easier. I might visit him. Maybe. Idk. I was definitely a mess at first—sorry about that—but you’re right, Baek and Jongdae have been...annoyingly patient with me lol. I think they feel like it’s their fault I’ve been struggling with feelings and memories I’ve worked so hard to forget. But honestly, I think I would’ve answered the phone eventually without their convincing. Just maybe not so soon. It’s probably shit I needed to deal with anyway, right? I’m just glad they’re not running for the hills. Also, yeah, must be an Alpha thing. So many blankets. So full._

 **_kyungsoo do:_ ** _  
_ _Oh, okay. Have...fun? You did mention in one of your videos that it’s usually fun for you guys, right? lol. Their ruts are...I’m not really sure. We’ve sort of avoided the topic I think. That or we’ve all just got so much emotional baggage that we haven’t had time to talk about it. We said we were going to look into stuff together, but we haven’t yet. I still haven’t even been able to show them you guys and your videos._

_Idk. I did see Jongdae’s calendar on his phone. A week marked off in a couple of months. So we should probably talk about it soon._

_Can I ask you something?_

_Does it...ah. Does it hurt? Taking a knot. I think I want to try, but Jongdae always shuts me down. He’s still scared Baekhyun won’t be able to control it, so Baek hasn’t even...it doesn’t matter. Baekhyun seems to realize I actually want it. He’s been helping me...stretch. I know you said you have to build up to it, I just wondered...what it’s actually like?_

**_suho [ & honey]_ ** _  
_ _Aw, Kyungsoo, you still haven’t talked to them about everything we’ve talked about? You definitely should ASAP :( I don’t want them to think you’re keeping secrets, you know? But I’m glad you’re getting through this thing with your brother. I think it’s good for you that he reached out and is trying! I just want you to have as many people in your court as possible. You deserve alllllll the love and support~ Also glad to know it’s universal for Alphas to treat their upset human mates like pregnant Omegas. I’ll add that to my ever-growing list of werewolf knowledge LMAO._

_Oof, even if you don’t talk to them about me and Honey, you should definitely talk to them about their ruts! Communication and understanding is so important always, but especially around times and topics like this. You need to decide together if you’ll be an active participant or not. Though I imagine you’re either in, or nowhere near the vicinity, because their wolves will want you way too much if you’re close by._

_Taking a knot is...intense? That’s honestly the best way to describe it. If you properly work yourself up to it and properly prep for it beforehand, it’s, idk, it’s probably different for everyone, but it’s never hurt for me. The first time was extremely overwhelming though, like, maybe there was pain, but all I could think about was how full I felt. It just feels so different than anything else I’ve ever experienced. Then, after I took it a couple of times, it was kinda all I wanted? haha. Anyway, I would definitely be cautious, but I don’t think you should be scared. Plus, I think you can trust your wolves to take care of you. Even in the thralls of rut-induced, feral passion, they’re very, very good about consent._

_Also, just throwing it out there ;) they definitely make toys that replicate knots. You know, if you want to practice on your own. hehe_

“Yeollie,” Baekhyun called as he entered the living room from the kitchen, carrying a stack of glasses and a bottle of whiskey. He set them on the coffee table and Kyungsoo didn’t stop himself from latching onto his nearest hand. “When will Yixing be here, Yeol—” He _yelped_ when Jongdae’s hands snatched him by the hips, pulling him down onto his lap. Baekhyun’s cheeks flooded with color, but when he turned to look at Jongdae, mouth floundering, Jongdae only captured him in a sweet kiss.

Oh. What a sight. Kyungsoo slid his hand onto Baekhyun’s thigh and decided to give them a moment. It had been three months since the three of them decided to become more serious, but there was still a tentativeness between Baekhyun and Jongdae when they were around other people, and when the light was on.

Kyungsoo chuckled and looked at Chanyeol’s mouth making an ‘o’ shape, then at Minseok who rolled his eyes. “Let him know when they’re done that Xing’ll be here in five minutes.”

Baekhyun lifted his hand to give them a thumbs up, then let it fall to Kyungsoo’s, entwining their fingers while the gentle sounds of smacking lips drifted into Kyungsoo’s ear. Just like that first night he woke up to them making love next to him. A shudder rolled down his spine and Baekhyun’s hand in his tightened.

It was exactly five minutes later, indeed, when Yixing let himself into the apartment. Baekhyun and Jongdae had stopped kissing, but were no less attached next to Kyungsoo, even as Chanyeol took it upon himself to boot up Baekhyun’s PS4. 

Minseok hopped up and eased the brown paper bag from Yixing’s hand, who didn’t even bat an eye, using his newly free hands to wrap himself around Chanyeol from behind. He buried his face between Chanyeol’s shoulder blades as Kyungsoo got to his feet to follow Minseok to the kitchen.

“Oh yeah, Soo,” Yixing said, voice muffled against Chanyeol’s shirt. “Seulgi said to tell you hi. And that she’s proud of you for trying something new, like she said.”

“Oh. Uh, thanks.”

“She also wanted me to wink at you but honestly? I don’t plan on ever moving again.”

Kyungsoo chuckled as Chanyeol cooed, tossing a controller to a now-ready-Baekhyun and turning in Yixing’s arms, hugging him close.

“Do they have any Sprite left?” Minseok asked when Kyungsoo walked into the kitchen.

Kyungsoo hummed. “We ran out a couple of days ago. You like Sprite with your whiskey?”

Minseok gave him a considering glance which took Kyungsoo aback, unsure what prompted it, then Minseok said, “Not my favorite, but the lemon-lime goes nicely with this bottle.” He gestured to the bag Yixing brought. Bane. The bottle Baekhyun had brought out before had been solely for Kyungsoo, unless the others wanted to drink it for the taste only. “Just Coke, then, I guess. We should dilute it with something,” Minseok muttered. He pulled out the large bottle of Coke from the fridge, then turned and pulled out not just the bottle of whiskey, but a bottle of Malibu too.

Kyungsoo groaned. “Sprite for Chanyeol’s Malibu.”

“Yeah,” Minseok gently said, avoiding his eyes. “Honestly, I’ll go get him some.”

“Oh, there’s a vending machine like one floor down. I almost forgot. I have some cash—“

Minseok turned to him, smile soft, genuine. “It’s okay, I’ve got it.”

He excused himself, and Kyungsoo sat with his phone until Minseok got back. He was only half-wary when he saw a message from Seungsoo. Progress.

**seungsoo:** _ [image0.jpg] We’ve finally finished moving in. It’s like our own little corner of paradise, compared to the family house. _

It was a photo of the sun setting in what appeared to be a backyard. It  _ did _ look nice, spacious, clean. The backyard in their family home had been small and poorly treated. It looked like a wasteland compared to this.

**kyungsoo:** _it looks really nice, seungsoo._  
**seungsoo:** _Nice enough for you to come visit? :D_ __  
**kyungsoo:** _lol maybe_ _  
_**kyungsoo:** __soon

The wolves in the living room were already shouting at each other over Mortal Kombat, making Minseok shake his head when he walked back in with two small Sprite bottles in his hand. 

“I vote we have our own, much quieter party in here,” he teased, and Kyungsoo laughed.

“That’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

Minseok laughed too, and they each focused on making food and drinks. It was only a minute though before Minseok was asking, “What’s on your mind, Kyungsoo?”

“Hmm?”

“I get the distinct feeling you wanna ask me something.”

Kyungsoo huffed, shaking his head a little. When he turned around, Minseok was already watching him. Kyungsoo sighed. “I guess I just…” He lowered his voice. “I guess I wanted to check in? With how things are going with the whole...trying to help them thing?”

“Ah.” Minseok offered a sympathetic smile, and took a pensive sip of one of the glasses he’d just fixed. “There’s not much to update you on. I’m trying to look at it from every angle, trying to find a way that won’t put them at risk.”

Kyungsoo leaned back against the counter, chewing on his cheek.

“It should be easy, in theory. Practicing Traditionalism is...extremely illegal now. All I’d have to do is sicc the police on their mansion, really. But when packs like that are buried so deep in their beliefs, they find a way to make people pay before shit hits the fan. Or even after they’re already in prison. We need to take every precaution.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

Minseok stepped forward, squeezing Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “I’m doing everything I can, Kyungsoo. Both to help them and keep them completely safe. Nothing bad is going to happen to them.”

“I know. Thanks, Minseok. I didn’t mean to bring down the party mood.”

“Ah, nonsense. You can talk to me about this stuff whenever you want, okay? Seriously.”

Kyungsoo inhaled, nodded. “Yeah. Okay. Thanks.”

Despite their joking, they rejoined the wolves in the living room shortly after, and Kyungsoo spent the rest of the night warm with alcohol and kisses, too content to care about anything else for now.


	9. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo visits his brother, with unexpected consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 8.1k

Kyungsoo’s scream broke off into a sob, the fingernails scratching down his back grounding him.  _ “Please—“ _ His sob was shoved back down his throat, Jongdae’s cock sliding back into his mouth without mercy.

His hands and knees ached, screaming just as loudly as he was for relief, but it was worth it. God, it was fucking worth it to finally be taking Baekhyun’s cock after months of craving it.

But it wasn’t just Baekhyun’s cock, nailing his prostate with freakish precision, it was his fingers, two of them, worked in alongside it, stuffing Kyungsoo fuller than he’d ever been. Tears streamed down the stretched edges of his mouth, wrecked voice simultaneously moaning and choking as Jongdae fucked in and out of his mouth, fingers tugging harshly on Kyungsoo’s hair for purchase.

“So good,  _ so good,” _ Baekhyun was chanting, before he clamped his teeth down on Kyungsoo’s back, thrusts at this angle shallower, but faster.

_ Please,  _ Kyungsoo thought,  _ Please!  _ He wanted them to hear him, to know what his sobbing around Jongdae’s cock meant as Baekhyun’s teeth sharpened, pinching his skin.

But he was ripped away, Jongdae no longer thrusting into Kyungsoo’s mouth, stagnant instead, cock shoved all the way in as he yanked Baekhyun’s face away from Kyungsoo’s skin.

Growls erupted above him, and it was Jongdae’s voice, but not, commanding Baekhyun to control it. “You’ve done so well, Baekhyun. We’re almost there. Control the urge.”

After a snarl, Baekhyun was fucking him again, those hard, deep thrusts that pistoned against Kyungsoo’s prostate and unraveled him faster than anything else. He tried not to be disappointed when Baekhyun’s mouth didn’t go near him again. Not until the very end, when he was swallowing Jongdae’s come and trying not to black out as he came untouched, entire body racked with tremors of undying pleasure. Baekhyun kissed him anywhere he could reach, chasing his own release. Kyungsoo collapsed just before he reached it, face shoved against the mattress as Baekhyun drilled him into it, both of them crying out when Baekhyun’s come filled him up.

Kyungsoo figured he did black out, because the next thing he remembered was being on his back and Baekhyun straddling his belly, kissing him so lovingly, tongue dipping in and out with every kiss. Kyungsoo sank his weak fingers into Baekhyun’s hair, not sure why he was moaning around such gentle treatment. That is, until it struck him that his entire groin was tingling with the barest hints of pleasure, his rim being given the exact same treatment as his mouth. Jongdae’s tongue.

Kyungsoo moaned a little louder, spreading his legs wider, silently begging for more. Jongdae obliged, wrapping his hands around Kyungsoo’s thighs and shoving his face closer, tongue deeper. Kyungsoo felt himself get a little hard when he realized he could literally feel Baekhyun’s come in him, slowly being eaten out by Jongdae.

“Fuck,” he whined, and Baekhyun gently shushed him, long fingers sliding around to the back of his head, arching his neck so Baekhyun could kiss him deeper.

Kyungsoo didn’t know how much time passed just like that, or how no one was tired of fucking his mouth and ass with their tongues, but he was eventually hard again and trying to beg Baekhyun to sit on his cock but words were hard, when his body was so relaxed it was almost asleep. Baekhyun understood though, reaching for the lube and blindly dousing Kyungsoo’s cock in it. They’d prepped Baekhyun before deciding to let him try to fuck Kyungsoo for the first time, so he didn’t hesitate to sink down, all three of them moaning in tandem.

Jongdae’s tongue disappeared as Baekhyun gently rocked, continuing to kiss Kyungsoo’s mouth like nothing had changed. Kyungsoo only just noticed the pillow propping his hips up the second Jongdae’s cock slowly filled him up, and he jerked on Baekhyun’s hair in reflex.

They went on like that, slow, lazy, long, until every inch of Kyungsoo’s skin felt oversensitized, and Baekhyun had sat back and fallen into Jongdae’s embrace. It was a sight that could’ve sent Kyungsoo over the edge without any help, Jongdae’s arms coiled tightly around Baekhyun’s body, possessive, claiming, lips and teeth working at Baekhyun’s sensitive neck.

It felt like an out of body experience, even as Kyungsoo reached forward and wrapped Baekhyun’s cock with his trembling hand. As he watched Baekhyun melt in front of him, dripping in sweat and love and come, Jongdae’s hands helping him continue to rock along Kyungsoo’s length until Kyungsoo was coming too. His eyes squeezed shut, back arching clean off the bed as fingers entwined with all of his. One hand from each of his Alphas, he thought. 

Drifting back down from such a high was a blur, and again, everyone was in a different place than before, on either side of Kyungsoo now, gently kissing him all over, hands gliding along his slick skin. 

“Can’t believe Baek’s not eating your come out too, Dae,” Kyungsoo drunkenly mumbled, because he was just aware enough to note how weird it felt, to be so full of their come it was steadily dripping out of him.

Jongdae’s laugh was tired, lazy. “His wolf wants to plug you up. Keep it all inside you. You’re welcome, for stopping him.”

Baekhyun whined, and Kyungsoo found his hair without opening his eyes. Petting him soothed the whine right out of him. 

“We should shower,” Jongdae muttered against Kyungsoo’s neck. “Change the sheets.” He didn’t sound very convinced.

“Later,” Baekhyun decided, and together, the wolves snuggled into Kyungsoo, and so easily, they all drifted off together.

“You won’t be like us, right?” Baekhyun whispered into the darkness, later, when they were showered and fed and cozy on clean sheets. “If something goes wrong while you’re visiting home, you’ll call us, right?”

"Of course, Baek." Kyungsoo found his lips in the darkness, a single kiss of reassurance.

Jongdae wound his arm around Kyungsoo from behind. "Of course he will, Baek, but it won't be necessary. Everything is going to go  _ great. _ You're just feeding off Soo's anxiety, baby."

"Ugh, am I really that obvious?" Kyungsoo asked, feeling prickly all over. He'd been trying to be strong about seeing his brother for the first time since he was a teenager, but now that he was leaving in the morning, in just a few hours, really, the nerves had struck him like a truck.

Baekhyun kissed him, and Kyungsoo shifted onto his back, sighing when they curled around him without question. “I just keep thinking...what if it’s a trap?”

“Soo…” Baekhyun whispered.

Jongdae shook his head against Kyungsoo’s chest. “Kyungsoo, it’s not. Why would he?”

“I just—he used to be so firmly on Dad’s side. And I  _ told _ him I’m with you guys,  _ two _ wolves, for the sake of full disclosure. He seemed okay about it but what if he isn’t? What if he’s still prejudiced and—”

Jongdae sighed. “This is why you don’t want us to come with you, isn’t it?” Kyungsoo didn’t respond. “Baby, he wouldn’t do anything to us. He didn’t even insist on meeting us or anything.”

“Exactly! What if it’s because he doesn’t want to?”

Jongdae and Baekhyun both sighed, and Jongdae flicked the lamp next to the bed on, bathing the three of them in a warm light. Baekhyun straddled Kyungsoo’s hips and leaned down to take his face in his hands. “Love, listen to yourself,” he said, nudging their noses. “You’re freaking out, and  _ we get it. _ That’s why we wanted to go with you. Just to be nearby, if you needed moral support. He doesn’t wanna hurt us, he doesn’t wanna hurt you. He loves you.”

“This is a really big thing for both of you,” Jongdae said, propped up on his elbow and hand rubbing up and down Baekhyun’s back. “Of course it’s not gonna be easy, but it won’t be a nightmare either. We’re so proud of you for deciding to go, Kyungsoo. Only positive things are gonna come from this, I know it.”

“And  _ if _ by some unrealistic twist of fate—unrealistic because Jongdae is never wrong—”

“Why thank you.”

“—we’ll be a phone call away. Thirty minutes away.” Baekhyun kissed him. “And I bet if I drive really, really fast, we can make it there in fifteen. Jongdae drives like a grandma, so it has to be me.”

_ “Hey!” _

Baekhyun giggled against Kyungsoo’s mouth, which was always the most intoxicating feeling of them all. He laughed, too, and tugged Baekhyun down into a tight hug, only to hook a leg around his and flip them over, letting all of his weight press Baekhyun into the mattress. Jongdae followed, naturally, laughing in their ears as he hugged them both.

“Thank you guys,” Kyungsoo said. “Really.”

“No need to thank us,” Baekhyun assured, nose pressed firmly against his neck. “We’re always here for you. No matter what.”

Kyungsoo nodded, humming when Jongdae peppered warm kisses all over his shoulder. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was overthinking everything. Seungsoo had been nothing but pleasant since they’d reconnected two months ago, so much so that Kyungsoo was  _ going home. _ Maybe not to his childhood home, thank god, but the same town. He’d vowed to never go back. Just like he’d vowed to never speak to his brother ever again.

Apparently dating two Alphas wasn’t the only new thing Kyungsoo would be trying this year.

Baekhyun sighed. “I’m just glad we get to do this,” he said. “Spend every second with you just like this before you leave for a week.”

They couldn’t do it when Baekhyun and Jongdae had to go home, though that had only been twice so far, but they had to take every precaution to not raise suspicion.

Each time, Kyungsoo had said goodbye a full 36 hours before they left town, and according to Chanyeol, who had been told by Yixing, Baekhyun and Jongdae spent that entire time showering, over and over and over again, working, eating, sleeping in separate rooms. Their entwined scents were inevitable to an extent, from merely living together, but if one thing seemed out of place, if their entwined scents were  _ too _ entwined, there would be hell to pay.

Kyungsoo hugged Baekhyun closer, locking eyes with Jongdae. “Me too, baby. Me too.”

Kyungsoo didn’t know why he felt like he was leaving his literal heart behind as he watched his wolves wave at him through his rearview mirror, fluffy blanket wrapped around them both, Baekhyun’s head tipped onto Jongdae’s shoulder. He was only leaving for a week, and that was only  _ if _ things went well with Seungsoo. He could be back sooner otherwise.

Plus, they would be able to talk freely this time. There would be no texting Kyungsoo from the bathroom where no one could read his name and ask them who he was, no fear that one overseen text or overheard phone call could set off a chain of nightmarish events for the wolves. Everything would be fine, better, easier, this time.

It  _ was _ only a half-hour drive, but it was still long enough for Kyungsoo’s nerves to build up until he was white-knuckling the steering wheel, more anxious than he’d been in a while.

He texted Seungsoo at a stop light, when his GPS told him he was five minutes away. It was eerie, he thought as he tentatively observed his surroundings, how everything not only looked exactly the same, but  _ felt _ the same as well. He was suddenly thrust back into being 17 years old, angry at the world and with only one person who gave a shit about him.

Kyungsoo shuddered, a little residual bitterness making itself known in his belly. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to come back.

It made a difference though, pulling up at an entirely different house. He didn’t have time to try and pinpoint if he had ever noticed this place before, because Seungsoo was there, waiting on the front porch with a smile that sent a shock through Kyungsoo’s entire body.

He’d missed his brother.

“Brother,” Seungsoo softly greeted when Kyungsoo climbed out of the car.

“Hello,” Kyungsoo responded, a little stilted, which was ridiculous, really. Chewing on his lip, he moved to the trunk of his car to retrieve his suitcase and messenger bag. He was stalling, maybe, but it didn’t matter because Seungsoo was there, gently prying the suitcase from his hands.

“Let me help,” he offered, still gentle, cautious, like he was scared any tiny misstep would send Kyungsoo into rage.

Seungsoo was still the same in his looks, and yet entirely different. He was older, of course, but he looked as if he had aged twice what he was supposed to. Or perhaps Kyungsoo’s perception of time was impossibly skewed. It felt like a lifetime ago that he’d left home, even now that all the memories had been yanked to the surface since reconnecting.

Seungsoo’s expression softened, like he knew Kyungsoo was struggling to grasp the situation. “How are you, Soo?”

“I’m okay,” he answered automatically, then cleared his throat. “Just...processing, Seungsoo. I’m sorry. It’s been a while.”

“Hey, it’s okay!” A cautious hand landed on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, but the touch was so featherlight, it almost wasn’t there at all. “I get it. Trust me. I can’t even believe you’re real. You’re here.” Kyungsoo’s stomach sank when he saw his brother’s eyes gain an extra layer of shininess. Fuck, no crying,  _ please. _ “God, you’re really all grown up. You look good, Soo.”

Kyungsoo swallowed down the emotions rising like acid in his throat, aware how much of a Baekhyun-distraction-tactic it was to gently tug at a chunk of Seungsoo’s hair and say, “Does this mean I’ll grey early too? In my thirties? Disappointing.”

Surprise colored Seungsoo’s face for only a moment before he laughed, and Kyungsoo could see the way relief melted the creases in his forehead, the same way Kyungsoo’s always did. “I’ll have you know my wife finds it very charming!”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious!”

Kyungsoo grinned. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be so hard after all.

**yeol:** _y’know, i was kinda pretty REALLY upset when you shut me down so fast about going back with you_ _  
_**yeol:** _but i just talked to baekhyun, and i get it. why you didn’t let any of us come with you_ _  
_**yeol:** _you dolt, we’re the ones who are supposed to protect you!!!!!!!  
_**kyungsoo:** _i’d hope i’m allowed to take care of the people i love every once in a while. you big dumb wolves can set aside your pride for five minutes istg  
_**kyungsoo:** _of course i wanted to protect you. i would never make you come back here, yeol.  
_**yeol:** _love, huh?????????? *eye emoji x5*  
_**kyungsoo:** _don’t be an ass  
_**kyungsoo:** _kyungsoo has left the chat.  
_**yeol:** _YOU FILTHY LIAR YOU LITERALLY CAN’T LEAVE A TWO PERSON THREAD LIKE THAT. COME BACK HERE!!!!!!!  
_**yeol:** _i can’t believe u love them  
_**yeol:** _yes i can you guys are gross  
_**yeol:** _should i start planning the wedding?!  
_**yeol:** _if i’m not your best man i’m suing goddammit  
_**kyungsoo:** _kyungsoo has entered the chat.  
_**kyungsoo:** _Shut. Up.  
_**kyungsoo:** _kyungsoo has left the chat.  
_**yeol:** _you’re really committing to this bit, huh?  
_**yeol:** _it’s ok bub i won’t tell anyone you’re feeling feelings  
_**kyungsoo:** _I’M NOT.  
_**yeol:** _thought you left the chat? ;)  
_**kyungsoo:** _kyungsoo is driving back home to kill you.  
_**yeol:** _aw, i’m scared ;(((  
_**kyungsoo:** _>.<  
_**kyungsoo:** _are you sure you’re okay with me coming back here, yeol?  
_**kyungsoo:** _we didn’t get to talk about it much  
_**yeol:** _i told you it was fine!!!  
_**yeol:** _promise. i’d take a chance on reconnecting too if i had anyone left to reconnect to  
_**yeol:** _i wouldn’t lie to you about this so pls stop worrying ;;  
_**kyungsoo:** _okay. love you  
_**yeol:** _love u too, bub_

“Hey, Soo. Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Kyungsoo blinked up at his brother and locked his phone.

“No. Just...Chanyeol being a menace.”

Seungsoo’s smile softened. “Are you settled in okay? I know the room is totally bland right now, but—“

“The room is great,” Kyungsoo said. “You guys only recently moved in, so don’t worry about that. Thank you.”

Seungsoo nodded. “I, um...Mina and the kids just pulled up. I thought...would you like to meet them?”

Kyungsoo swallowed, somehow more nervous than he had been pulling into the driveway. “Oh, yeah, of course.” He stood up, tucking his phone in his pocket and dusting imaginary dirt from his shirt and pants, at least until Seungsoo approached him. 

He squeezed Kyungsoo’s arm, and the sound of chattering children flooded the home. “Stop fretting. They’re gonna love you.”

Kyungsoo could only nod and follow his brother out silently. Almost immediately, a blur torpedoed past his legs, nearly tripping him. Wait. Did that kid have a—

“You must be Kyungsoo,” a floaty, warm voice greeted him.

Kyungsoo, in his most asshole move to date, felt his jaw drop when his eyes located the source of the voice.

Mina was a  _ werewolf. _

“Soo…” Seungsoo gently scolded, and Kyungsoo shook his head, trying to clear it.

“Ah, I’m so sorry—“

Mina shook her head too, friendly smile only widening. “We knew you’d be surprised. It’s okay. I’m Mina. Omega.”

Kyungsoo took her hand when she offered it, gently shaking it. “Kyungsoo. Human. Er, obviously.” Mina laughed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too! You greet like a wolf. Cute.” Her grin turned a little more sly. “Your Alphas certainly seem to be very...possessive.” She made a show of sniffing once, for emphasis, and winked.

“Oh god.” Kyungsoo wished he could stop the heat rushing to his cheeks, but the damage was done. If he’d known another wolf was going to be present, he  _ definitely _ would’ve held back on the sex. All of it. Mina clearly wasn’t bothered, but it was still  _ embarrassing _ to be on display like that. It didn’t help that Seungsoo was snickering next to him.

“Hi, hun,” Seungsoo said, stepping forward and kissing Mina’s cheek. “I’ll round up the munchkins so Soo can meet them.”

“Alright.” She beamed in a way that almost made her skin  _ glow.  _ She was beautiful, truly, and the first werewolf he’d ever seen with mismatched hair and ears. Mina’s ears and tail were silver like Baekhyun’s, a couple of shades darker, maybe, but her hair was dyed an almost plum purple that really suited her. Between her carefree style and the fact she was a  _ wolf,  _ she certainly was the last person Kyungsoo ever expected his brother to end up with. 

“I’ll get us some drinks,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss Seungsoo’s lips, who nodded in agreement. “Mom said hi, by the way, and that Pepper can stay with her as long as we need.”

“Ah, if you talk to her before me, tell her thank you, hm?”

“Of course.”

Kyungsoo stared at the ground when it clicked that  _ Pepper _ must have been their dog. He sighed.

Mina grabbed his hand when Seungsoo parted from them, and led him to the kitchen. “I’m sorry for the deception, Kyungsoo. I was the one who suggested he not tell you about me.” She let go of his hand to rummage through the fridge. “When he told me you were dating  _ two  _ Alphas, I worried that they wouldn’t let you come if they knew another wolf was here. I assume I was right considering I can’t even tell which scent is actually yours.” She peeked over her shoulder to quirk an eyebrow at him before retreating from the fridge with three glass bottles of soda. Two juice boxes followed. 

“Ah.” Kyungsoo shook his head. “They’re not like that. They’re definitely freaks about my scent—“ Mina laughed. “—but they’re not...ah, what’s the word? Territorial, maybe? I live with an Omega, so they don’t have a problem with me being around other wolves.”

“That’s surprising, actually.” Mina handed him a soda. “Well, maybe not. I guess it’s out of character for Alphas to share a boyfriend period.”

“They’re boyfriends, too,” Kyungsoo said, because that was  _ important. _ Or maybe he was just still reeling from hearing Jongdae call Baekhyun his boyfriend out loud for the first time a few days ago.

Mina appeared genuinely surprised. “Really? That’s...kinda amazing. Wow.”

Kyungsoo breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s amazing to me too.”

She softened. “You care about them a lot, huh?” Kyungsoo nodded. “I can tell. I hope they only ever treat you well.”

“More than well, honestly. They’re...some of the greatest people I’ve ever met.”

“Oh gosh. I already hope you’ll introduce them to us someday.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “I’m sure I will.”

That seemed to relieve Mina. “Seriously, though, Kyungsoo. I’m sorry to you and your Alphas for intentionally not telling you. Seung was so excited to see you again...I didn’t want to mess that up for him.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “I understand, and they will too.”

Before Mina could respond, the sounds of giggles drifted into the room, followed by Seungsoo carrying two, tiny werewolves with the same face but different colored hair. One was sitting on his shoulders, trying her best to cover Seungsoo’s eyes as he walked, hence the giggling. The other was cradled in Seungsoo’s arms, chestnut tail wagging excitedly.

That one smiled directly at Kyungsoo. “Hi!” she said. “I’m Yoori!”

“Hi,” Kyungsoo sort of croaked out. He knew his brother had children, but  _ his brother had children. _ Tiny, three year old twins who looked so similar to Seungsoo, and therefore Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo felt like he’d stepped into an alternate universe. These were his nieces. 

This was his family.

A hand smoothed down his back, Mina’s, and Kyungsoo vaguely realized she could sense whatever the hell he was feeling right now. “Let’s go sit, yeah? We can take this slow.” She rubbed his back. “It’s okay.”

Kyungsoo was crying.

“Daddy,” the silver-haired pup on Seungsoo’s shoulders said, tugging on his ear. “Walk closer.”

Seungsoo obeyed, worried eyes trained on Kyungsoo, but when he got close enough, the pup put her tiny hand on Kyungsoo’s damp cheek, frowning. “Why are you sad?”

“I-I’m not sad.”

She trailed her fingers down his cheek, tracing the track of his tears. “You’re happy cwying?”

Kyungsoo huffed and nodded. “I’m just really happy to meet you guys.”

Seungsoo’s voice was a little wobbly too as he said, “Yoori, Yeri, this is your uncle. Uncle Soo.”

“Uncle Soo!” Yoori cheered, and Kyungsoo laughed, his tension evaporating.

He had a family.

The first few days passed in an unexpected breeze. Day one was all about everyone getting acquainted. Mostly Kyungsoo and Seungsoo, but Kyungsoo had to admit he almost felt more at ease with the wolves around, and Yeri had grown rather fond of him rather fast. She particularly liked curling up in his lap for a nap, even as the adults chatted over her.

Day two brought forth the hard topics. The kids were staying with Mina’s mom, and Mina flitted in and out of the study periodically, mostly worrying over the emotional breakdown of their past, partly mediating if things got  _ too  _ emotional. They really only rehashed the things they spoke about that first night on the phone, because that was what mattered most, but Kyungsoo knew they needed to have that talk face to face, regardless. It had been exhausting though, Kyungsoo crawling into bed at 8PM and falling asleep to Baekhyun humming in his ear through the phone, a giant weight lifted from his shoulders.

After so much mental anguish, day three was the breeziest of them all. Seungsoo had work, so Kyungsoo mostly sat in the study and got some of his own work done, chatted quietly with Mina over lunch, entertained the kids so Mina could nap. Which then resulted in Kyungsoo napping with the kids curled up on top of him, Seungsoo laughing as he woke them up later.

Dinner was pleasant, and the five of them watched a movie after. Kyungsoo spent most of it staring at the pictures on his phone of his extra snuggly boyfriends, all sent during dinner. Of course, Mina caught him and cooed for five straight minutes over how adorable Baekhyun and Jongdae were. Kyungsoo shyly concurred.

When the movie was over and the kids in bed, Kyungsoo was filled to the brim with restless energy, queasy with it, almost, and either Seungsoo sensed it, or was feeling the same thing, because he suggested they take a bottle of whiskey outside to share.

It took an hour for the alcohol to sink in, well past midnight, before they were both sprawled out on the back porch, drunk and talking about anything and everything that came to mind.

“I can’t believe,” Seungsoo giggled and passed the bottle to Kyungsoo, “that the kid who, even before shit the fan, only ever had _one_ friend has _two_ boyfriends now. Wow.”

Kyungsoo laughed, shrugging helplessly. “Apparently I reserved all my social energy for this.”

A laugh punched out of Seungsoo’s chest, still so similar to Kyungsoo’s after all these years apart. “Apparently so.” Falling serious all of a sudden, Seungsoo turned to look at him. “Are you happy, Soo? Really happy?”

Kyungsoo felt his mouth split into a grin, the whiskey pushing the less calm reaction out of him. “I really am. I guess I haven’t really known them that long. God. How long? Five months? Going on six, I think? But…” He sighed. “Seung, I think I love them. Isn’t that wild?”

Seungsoo reached over and patted his hair, and it made him long for Baekhyun and Jongdae. “Nah,” Seungsoo said. “I’d been with Mina for a month before I blurted I loved her.  _ That  _ was wild. Way too soon. But it’s still what I felt. It was still valid. I don’t even have to see you with them to know you love ‘em. You—You do things so wholly, and so genuinely. Always have. They probably already know, so you should just...say it. Don’t hold back, y’know?”

Kyungsoo hummed, lifting his head enough to tip another sip of whiskey into his mouth. “That’s scary.” He turned on his side and propped his head in his hand. “You and Mina seem really good together.”

Instantly, Seungsoo beamed. “She changed everything, y’know? When I went looking for real answers to unlearn everything Dad taught me...I never expected her.”

“I think…” Kyungsoo heaved a sigh, rolling onto his back again. “You and I are so much alike. Even after everything.”

“I’ve noticed it too. It’s weird, right? How we could be so different back then, spend nearly a decade apart, and somehow end up more similar than we ever were.”

“Hmm. Maybe fate is real.”

Seungsoo snorted. “Oh yeah?”

“I dunno. Things are weird. Life is weird. I don’t really think I believe in a higher power, but like...stuff is weird.”

“How eloquently put,” Seungsoo said, laughing, and Kyungsoo half-heartedly swatted at him. “I’m glad you’re here, Soo.”

Kyungsoo pouted at the ceiling of the porch for a second, rubbing his stomach because it felt so weirdly empty, before turning to look at his brother. “Me too. I wasn’t sure—”

“I know. Me neither. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Kyungsoo sighed again. “Thank you for—” His breath caught in his throat. Was it possible for his entire stomach to turn over? Because that’s what it felt like it did. Flipping, twisting uncomfortably until— “Oh no.”

“Soo?”

Kyungsoo shot up from where he laid, stumbling even as he crawled toward the edge of the porch, stomach, chest, throat heaving. Nothing came up with it, but he almost wished it had. “No,” he croaked. There was no mistaking this feeling. It was exactly as it had been the first time. What the  _ fuck _ did it mean?

A hand rubbed his back, Seungsoo’s voice breaking through his inevitable wall of panic. “Kyungsoo, are you okay? Did we drink too much?”

“No. No—” Kyungsoo dry-heaved again. “This is something—else.”

“What? Do you want some water? What can I do?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. What could his brother do? Last time, nothing had worked. Yixing’s drugs had calmed his body down, but it still stayed sick.

Until he crawled back into bed with Baekhyun.

“M-My phone—”

“What?” Seungsoo moved away from him. “Oh. How’d you hear that? I didn’t even realize it was vibrating.”

“What?”

“Uh, Jongdae is calling. Do your wolves have some kind of sixth sense? Weird timing.”

“Give me—” He grabbed the phone, slamming his thumb on the answer button. “Dae—” he gasped.

Jongdae made a pained noise.  _ “Fuck,” _ he almost sobbed out.  _ “You’re fucking sick too, aren’t you?” _

“Is Baek…?”

_ “Y-Yeah. What the fuck, Soo? What is this?” _

“I don’t know.”

_ “Come home, Soo. I won’t be able to stand it if I have to watch you both in a fucking coma for almost two days again—” _

Kyungsoo pressed his hand into his stomach, his exhale rattling. “Soo…” That was Seungsoo, who Kyungsoo could hardly see through his blurry vision.

“Seung, I don’t know how to expl...I think I have to go home…”

Kyungsoo tried not to burst into drunken tears over the split second Seungsoo looked heartbroken, but his brother recovered quickly. He yelled Mina’s name over his shoulder before gently prying Kyungsoo’s phone from his hand. He helped him to his feet and Mina hurried out the door in her bathrobe.

“What happened?” she asked, rushing forward to check them both for injuries.

Kyungsoo waited for Seungsoo to answer, hoped for it, only he wasn’t paying attention to Mina. He seemed to be talking to Jongdae, frantic, like he and Jongdae were feeding off of each other’s energy. Mina took Kyungsoo’s free side, helping Seungsoo get him in the house, quiet, listening.

Kyungsoo lurched forward with the force of his nausea, Mina just barely keeping him from face-planting the floor. Fuck, he hated this. Whatever it was. But if he thought about how much he hated it, he thought about how it was happening at all, what it meant, it only stirred the queasiness.

Mina helped him on the couch. “I thought you smelled off earlier, but this is…”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Kyungsoo blinked up at his brother, uncertain, and found his phone being handed back to him. He reached forward, but it was hard even to clasp his fingers around it. Jongdae was still on the line. _“Seungsoo’s gonna bring you to me, okay baby? We’re gonna meet halfway. I’ll bring Baekhyun with me—”_ A whimper. Jongdae whispered, _I’ve got you, baby, I’ve got you._ _“H-Hang in there, yeah, Soo? I’ll see you real soon. We’ll—We’ll figure this out.”_

Kyungsoo nodded before he remembered Jongdae couldn’t see him. “Okay. What about—”

“Seungsoo and his wife will bring your car back later, okay?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo whispered. He doubled over, head between his knees. His forehead was starting to ache all over. “Okay. Laptop.”

_ “Seungsoo’s already packing it up, honey. I heard him walk away.” _

“Oh. Okay.”

_ “We’ll see you in twenty, yeah?” _

“Yeah. Yeah.”

Jongdae sniffled, and Kyungsoo’s heart joined in the aching.  _ “Drink some water. Small sips.” _

“I-I know, Dae.”

_ “Okay. Okay. We’re leaving now.” _

“Okay.”

_ “Bye, babe.” _

“Bye, Dae.”

Kyungsoo dropped his phone next to his feet, sagging further into himself. Mina rubbed his back. “This has happened before?” she asked. He nodded. “Just you and...Baekhyun? The Alpha with the cute ears.” Another nod. Mina hummed. “I mean I’ve heard stories but—”

“Hey, I’ve got your stuff, brother,” Seungsoo said, voice gentle. He kneeled down next to Kyungsoo’s head, running a tentative hand over his hair. “What have you gotten yourself into, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered. “I really want to stay. This isn’t a—“

“Hey, no one’s accusing you, Kyungsoo,” Seungsoo said. “Plus, your Alpha already apologized about twenty times.”

Kyungsoo managed to snort. But he nodded, then gasped as another surge of nausea washed over him. He coughed, groaning over the churning in his stomach. 

Seungsoo was rubbing his back now, as Mina left his side, saying, “I’m gonna grab the kids, honey.”

“What? Why?”

“You think I’m letting you drive him while you’re drunk?”

A long pause followed. “I...forgot I was drunk.”

Mina’s soft laugh would’ve been soothing in any other situation. “That’s why I’m here, sweetheart.”

“We shouldn’t wake the kids…”

“I know you want to go with Kyungsoo. Besides, maybe Yeri will help.”

Getting to the car was a blur despite it taking ages so Kyungsoo could stop and make sure he wasn't going to throw up everywhere. But soon enough, he was buckled in with a sleepy Yeri curled up in his lap despite his weak protests about car safety, and five minutes into the drive, breathing was a little easier.

He blinked his eyes open when someone gently shook his shoulder, and found himself staring at Jongdae's handsome face. "Hey," he rasped, and Yeri stirred in his arms.

Jongdae was looking back and forth between them with this soft, watery look that made Kyungsoo's stomach churn in an entirely non-sickening, but terrifying way. "Hi, babe." Kyungsoo didn't think twice before pushing his head forward, waiting for Jongdae to wrap his hand around the back of his head and rest their foreheads together. "Come on, baby," Jongdae murmured after a moment. He kissed Kyungsoo's forehead and stepped out of the way so Mina could take Yeri from Kyungsoo's lap.

Jongdae helped Kyungsoo from the car. "Does Yeri have an ability?" Kyungsoo asked, almost as an afterthought, remembering how Mina said she might help, noting that he didn't feel quite so sick.

Mina smiled, kissing Yeri's cheek before setting her in her booster seat and buckling her in. "She can calm anxiety. I know that's not what's causing this illness, but it certainly wasn't helping. At least she calmed you enough to allow you to sleep."

"Ah." Kyungsoo slowly nodded, but when a hand that warmed him faster than fire ever could touched his elbow, he spun around, words lost as he dizzily fell into Baekhyun's arms.

There was  _ no _ mistaking the way his stomach settled in moments.

“Baek, you were supposed to stay in the car,” Jongdae sighed.

Baekhyun's face--pressed into his neck--was clammy, and Kyungsoo pulled back enough to hold it in his hands, only realizing when he swayed a little that Jongdae and Seungsoo were already steadying the both of them. “Baek, baby…”

Baekhyun shook his head, one hand grasping a handful of Kyungsoo’s shirt, the other, Kyungsoo’s neck. “This could only mean something bad, right?’ he asked, exhausted eyes filling with tears. “Wolves don’t get sick—I don’t get sick.”

Mina, still by the car, spoke up. “If it was something...truly bad, don’t you think you guys would get sick when you’re together? Not apart?”

“Mina’s right,” Jongdae said, though his voice was shaking. “We shouldn’t assume the worst, Baekhyun.”

Seungsoo cleared his throat. “Getting better takes precedence over end-of-the-world theories, I think,” he said. His hand squeezed Kyungsoo’s arm. “You guys can figure the rest out when you don’t need extra hands helping you stand upright.”

“We’ll look into it too,” Mina added. “I’ve heard stories about things like this. Old fairy tales, really. I’d like to see if there’s any truth behind it before I start bombarding you with theories.”

“Thank you,” Jongdae said. “Both of you. I’m sorry again to steal Kyungsoo away from you. I’ll make it up to you in any way I can.”

Baekhyun pulled Kyungsoo back into his arms, wrapping him up tightly. “Jongdae,” Seungsoo said. “I don’t have to have special wolf senses to know how worried and stressed you are right now. Hell, I am too. I’ve...wasted a lot of time by not contacting Soo before recently. I’m happy we had our few days. It’s already more than I ever thought I’d get again.” Kyungsoo squeezed his eyes shut against Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I’m content knowing now that we can reschedule, you know?”

“Of course.”

“Maybe next time it can be all of us.”

Kyungsoo could hear Jongdae’s smile. “I think we’d all really like that, Seungsoo.”

Kyungsoo nodded, and Baekhyun tucked his chin against his shoulder. “We would,” he murmured.

“Well,” Seungsoo said after a moment. “It was nice meeting you all, even if the circumstances could be better.”

“Agreed,” Jongdae said.

“Keep me updated?”

“I promise.”

Kyungsoo vaguely wondered how they would keep in contact, or when they exchanged numbers. Baekhyun was suddenly talking though, most of the tremor in his voice gone. “We’re both already starting to feel better. I don’t think it’ll be like last time.”

Relieved breaths sounded all around them. “Still, let’s not risk it, yeah?” Jongdae said.

Everyone agreed, and Kyungsoo reluctantly parted from Baekhyun—as much as Baekhyun would allow, at least—to give his brother a proper goodbye. He hugged him with one arm, other hand tangled with Baekhyun’s behind him. “I’m glad,” Kyungsoo said, “that I got to spend time with you, Seung-ie.”

“Ah.” Seungsoo wetly laughed, tightening his hug. “So am I. So, so glad. Get well, okay?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Tell Yoori and Yeri that I said ‘bye, and that I promise to see them again, okay? And--And thank you, for Yeri’s ability—”

“Of course, brother.”

Kyungsoo and Mina exchanged a quick hug as well, and then Kyungsoo was dragged to Jongdae’s car, into the backseat, instantly wrapped in sick werewolf. Baekhyun pressed little kisses to the outer shell of Kyungsoo’s ear, his jaw. Jongdae watched them from the driver's seat with a small smile, reaching back to caress each of their cheeks before driving them home.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun exchanged a tired look. “I think—“ Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “—we both prefer the version of this where we were knocked out while you fretted over us like this.”

Jongdae didn’t stop obsessively adjusting the covers. Chanyeol couldn’t stop changing the channel, a nervous tick, and they could hear the clinking dishes Minseok was washing in the kitchen. Yixing barely glanced up from where he was taking Baekhyun’s temperature. “What are you even saying…” he muttered.

When he checked the thermometer, Baekhyun latched onto his wrist. “Xing,” he quietly said. His thumb stroked the inside of Yixing’s wrist. “You don’t have to worry so much. We’re getting better. We’re okay. I’m okay.”

A flurry of emotions passed across Yixing’s face, until he grabbed Baekhyun’s hand like a vice and  _ broke.  _ “But why are you getting sick in the first place, Baek? You shouldn’t be getting sick! And I’m—I’m  _ failing _ you because I can’t even figure out what’s wrong or how to fucking stop it—“

The room shifted, everyone flocking to comfort Yixing. Kyungsoo, with a hand. Jongdae and Chanyeol with hugs. Minseok hovered in the doorway, drying his hands with a towel, frown deep.

“You’re doing everything you can, sweetheart,” Baekhyun reassured. He moved his hands up to Yixing’s face, then pulled him down until their foreheads touched. “I’m okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

Yixing nodded, and Kyungsoo watched him blink as he sat up, until the cobalt blue of his eyes faded back to brown. Kyungsoo had never actually seen a Beta’s wolf eyes before. “I know,” Yixing said, squaring his shoulders back up even as Jongdae and Chanyeol resumed hugging him. “Because I won’t allow anything else.”

The other wolves milled about after that, giving Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae more space by piling into the living room to sleep after Yixing gave Kyungsoo and Baekhyun the herbs to calm their nausea down. Baekhyun was curled around Kyungsoo, Jongdae around Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo was finally shooting Suho a message.

**_kyungsoo do:_ ** **_  
_ ** _ It happened again. We both got sick while I was visiting my brother. I’m back home now. It’s not as bad as last time. _

“Who’s that?” Baekhyun sleepily asked.

“Suho,” Kyungsoo muttered, locking his phone and putting it on the nightstand.

“Suho?” Jongdae asked.

“He’s—ah.” Kyungsoo sighed. “He’s a human who...also is in a relationship with an Alpha. That first night that I researched relationships like ours, their channel came up. They make videos.”

Jongdae propped himself up with his elbow. “You talk to him? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Kyungsoo hesitated, but Baekhyun’s hand smoothing over his skin under his shirt calmed him considerably. “I guess I was just a little embarrassed? I don’t know.”

“Baby…” Jongdae frowned, and Kyungsoo shrugged.

“That or maybe I just wanted to know as much as I could before I said anything. I don’t know. I’m sorry. But we’re friends now?” Kyungsoo glanced at his phone. “He had his messages open for questions, so I asked, and now we talk regularly? But...he wanted to know if me and Baek got sick again.”

“He thought it would happen again?”

“I...don’t know? He just said one time was probably coincidence, but if it happened again to let him know.” Kyungsoo stopped, having to take a deep breath as a mild wave of nausea rolled over him. Baekhyun nuzzled closer to him.

Jongdae hummed. “You don't have to apologize, you know.”

“Huh?”

“For keeping it from us.” Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come. He hadn’t  _ meant _ to keep it quiet for so long, and he felt like he should say that, but Jongdae shook his head, smiling. “Baby, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about you, it’s that you’ll tell us stuff when you’re ready. And that’s okay.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

Baekhyun kissed his neck. “Can we watch their videos?” he asked.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Kyungsoo fumbled for the remote and switched streaming apps. 

“We can watch a couple,” Jongdae corrected. “You both need to get some sleep. We can spend all day watching tomorrow.”

That’s exactly what they did.

In between naps, and meals, and Yixing's check-ups, they watched every video Suho and Honey had on their channel, Kyungsoo filling them in with the things he'd learned from talking with Suho privately during quiet moments. There was something weirdly freeing about sharing this with Baekhyun and Jongdae, in seeing them so engaged and as willing to learn as he'd been. They asked as many questions as Kyungsoo, and listened more intently than ever when Suho started vaguely mentioning mating bites.

Kyungsoo paused the video.

"From everything I've heard..." he started. "Mating bites sound really similar to Vampirism in fiction? It's actually a blood exchange, right? I wasn't expecting that."

Baekhyun nodded, alert but sluggish from his latest round of herbs, but Jongdae picked up the question without hesitation. "Yes," he said. "Vampires lore, for the most part, is developed straight from Werewolf history. Vampirism is a fairy tale, an urban legend, so that’s what people remember  _ our _ traits as too. Facts get lost among the humans, because they usually aren’t involved in our rituals. The biggest difference is honestly that Vamps in the stories need blood to survive. But they still exchange blood with their mates."

"Huh."

"Yeah. I guess their ‘bond’ is supposed to be depicted as even more intense, because it's...for eternity? But in real life, it's just something in our supernatural blood that truly bonds us together once we exchange. That's why bites are so serious." Jongdae casted a glance at Baekhyun. "It binds us. Until we can feel each other."

"For life."

Jongdae nodded. "For life. It's just this...nudge, from what I’ve been told. It's not an invasive thing."

"More of an awareness," Baekhyun murmured.

"Yeah." Jongdae's eyes drifted to the paused screen. "I wonder if Suho can feel it. As a human."

"I'm...not sure. I didn't even know, to ask." Jongdae smiled at him, their fingers entwining over Baekhyun's hip. "So you really...drink the blood?” Kyungsoo hesitated. “If it's an exchange you can't just...cut your palms and shake hands?"

Jongdae laughed, and Baekhyun's giggle trickled across his skin. The moment was contagious, an unwarranted surge of happiness swelling in Kyungsoo, rising until he was laughing too.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Shaking hands is definitely not the way to mate, I realize that now."

"So cute," Baekhyun murmured, and Jongdae squeezed his hand, smile still wide.

"No," he agreed. "The bites are so...intimate. Not to mention, it’s supposed to enhance pleasure, in the moment. And drinking your mate's blood is just...the ultimate form of commitment. A true...ah, declaration?"

Kyungsoo nodded. "It makes...sense." From a supernatural standpoint, at least. "It's just hard to wrap my head around. You know, growing up human, you think about drinking blood, you think  _ Vampires, ooh, scary. _ I was just surprised to know that it’s actually what wolves do. When you don't need it to survive, especially."

"There’s just something about Lycanthropy and blood. We have other rituals too." Jongdae shrugged. "Even packs are bonded by blood."

"Because family..."

"No. Our two families are a pack, remember?" He gestured between himself and Baekhyun. "There's a blood bond with packs too. It's different, though. No biting. We usually have an heirloom of some kind. Everyone offers their blood to it—"

_ "This _ sounds very ritualistic."

"Definitely. There's a magic behind it though. One that even we don't really understand. The heirloom  _ is _ us. A piece of each of us. If it has your blood, you are pack, and it balances your power."

"Can drain it, too," Baekhyun quietly added.

Jongdae's gaze fell. "Yeah. The pack leader, the head Alpha, can use it to...check members of the pack who abuse their power. Or fall out of line."

He doesn't have to say it for Kyungsoo to know that part is more of a Traditionalist thing. "That sounds dangerous. Especially if it works both ways. I imagine that power has to go somewhere. To the head Alpha?"

"Bingo." Baekhyun cleared his throat. "Back to the Vampire stuff, though. Jongdae's right. We're way more similar than people realize." Kyungsoo tried not to frown, Baekhyun's change of topic obvious as ever. Jongdae still wasn't looking at either of them.

"Noted," Kyungsoo said, when he realized Baekhyun wasn't going to say more. "That's really interesting, honestly."

Baekhyun picked up his head, a soft look on his pretty face. "I imagine so." He pressed forward for a chaste kiss before reaching for the remote Kyungsoo had abandoned, and starting the video on the TV back up. "I wanna know everything you know," he murmured. He dropped a kiss to Kyungsoo's cheek this time, and settled back in. Jongdae was nodding, and tuned right back into the TV.

Kyungsoo felt like he'd just opened up a can of worms, he just wasn't sure exactly what kind of worms they were.

It was the second Suho and Honey's last video finished that Jongdae sat up and ran his fingers through his hair and said, "I want to meet them."

Kyungsoo blanched. "What?"

"I want to meet them," he repeated. "They know...so much more than we do. Even more than they share here, I think. You said you're friends?"

"I mean, I think so, but..."

"Soo."

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun exchanged a look, Baekhyun slowly peeling himself from Kyungsoo's side and sitting up, back against the headboard. Even the idea of sitting up made Kyungsoo queasy, so he scooted closer and rested his head on Baekhyun's thigh. They waited for Jongdae to speak again.

"I just have a feeling," he finally said. "He wanted you to tell him if you got sick again. Maybe he knows what it means."

"Maybe," Kyungsoo concurred. In fact, he  _ really _ hoped so, because he didn't know how else to find out, when the internet was mostly a black hole of articles condemning relationships like theirs. "But I don't know if they'd be comfortable..."

It was a lot to ask, Kyungsoo felt, to meet total strangers and grill them for answers. Especially when they could do exactly that through messages, or even on the phone.

"Please, Soo," Jongdae pleaded. "It can't hurt to ask."

Kyungsoo tried really hard to reel in the negative bodily response to that, because his immediate thought was  _ what if it scares Suho away? _ Suho was his only friend outside of all of this, yet inside it all the same. It almost shocked Kyungsoo to realize that he didn't want to lose that connection, that friendship.

He figured he didn't do a good job controlling whatever he was projecting, judging by the soothing way Baekhyun started scratching at his scalp, but he pretended to feel okay anyway. He reached for his phone behind him and curled closer to Baekhyun.

When he saw the small little "1" indicating he had a new DM, he rushed to click it. He'd forgotten he was actually still waiting on a response from Suho, somehow.

What surprised him, however, was the message itself.

**_suho [ & honey]_ ** **_  
_ ** _ Kyungsoo, I think we need to meet. I might know what's happening to you two. _


	10. Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo meets Suho & Honey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 6.1k

It was a small world, Kyungsoo knew, but it became glaring when they started exchanging information and he realized Suho and Honey only lived an hour away from them. Which did, at least, make it a  _ lot _ easier to meet up as soon as possible around everyone's work schedules. So soon, in fact, that Jongdae was driving them there just three days after Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had gotten sick.

The first thing Kyungsoo realized upon walking up to Suho and Honey's table at the outdoor cafe they'd chosen was that it was beyond surreal seeing them in real life.

The second was that Honey was even more of an intimidating  _ Adonis _ in person.

The third was that...he really did consider Suho his friend, considering the way happiness bubbled up at the sight of him, and he didn't even hesitate to walk into Suho's open arms.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Kyungsoo," Suho said, squeezing him tight.

"You too, Suho."

Suho chuckled, pulling back to hold him at arm's length. "I guess we should start with a true introduction. My real name is Junmyeon Kim. And this teddy bear," he pointed to Honey behind him, "is Sehun Oh. My Sehunnie."

"Oh." Baekhyun giggled into Kyungsoo's shoulder from behind. "Honey's a pun."

Junmyeon beamed. "Yes!" He laughed, like he knew Sehun was rolling his eyes behind him. "You must be Baekhyun," Junmyeon said, but Kyungsoo could see the way he held himself back from stepping forward, no doubt unsure how Baekhyun and Jongdae preferred to be approached. He felt Baekhyun's smile grow against his shoulder just before he stepped away and around Kyungsoo. He held out his hand, tail discreetly wagging.

"Yeah," he said. "It's nice to meet you."

Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun as an afterthought, but Sehun seemed indifferent more than anything. He had a watchful eye, but not a concerned or territorial one.

"I'm Jongdae," Jongdae said, stepping forward as Baekhyun stepped back, fingers sliding between Kyungsoo's. Then Jongdae bowed his head to Sehun. "Sehun. Alpha. Hello."

"Ah, you don't have to do that," Sehun muttered, wrinkling his nose.

Junmyeon nodded, frowning slightly. "No need for anyone to defer their status. I get that I'm the human here, but I'd like to think we're all equals."

"I agree," Kyungsoo said, as Sehun nodded. Baekhyun and Jongdae easily agreed.

Junmyeon visibly relaxed. "Well, let's sit, shall we? I imagine there's no point in beating around the bush."

Nerves slammed into Kyungsoo like a truck, so much so that all three wolves looked at him in-sync, and Baekhyun pulled him close, free hand flying to Kyungsoo's face to caress it. "Baby..." he whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kyungsoo said, though he knew it was a stupid answer.

He sighed, and Junmyeon stepped up to him, dipping his head to gently smile at him. "Soo, it's not bad news, if we're right. And," he glanced back at Sehun. "I'm almost positive we're right."

Sehun slid his hand onto Junmyeon's shoulder. "We are right." Junmyeon looked at him. "I can smell it on them."

"Okay." Jongdae said, decidedly. He seemed more antsy than all of them combined. "Lay it on us, please."

"Let's sit," Junmyeon said as he nodded. In complete synchronization with him, Sehun flagged down a waiter and sat down with Junmyeon, and Kyungsoo tried not to be flustered when Baekhyun quietly ordered for him, getting it right without even having to ask. His attempt at hiding it completely fell apart when Junmyeon cooed over them, which in turn made everyone  _ laugh _ at him. Kyungsoo sighed, long-suffering, only really comforted when each of his wolves grasped his hands under the table.

Sehun leaned forward on his elbows, Junmyeon's fingers wrapping affectionately around his wrist. "We're cutting to the chase, right?" Sehun asked. Everyone nodded. "Alright. Well. There are two types of mating bonds."

"What?" Jongdae asked. "That doesn't make..."

Sehun's smile was wry. "You grew up in a Traditionalist household. Even non-Traditionalists don't believe this second mating bond exists."

"It's why we don't talk about it on our channel," Junmyeon said. "It's considered a joke among most, and people already don't talk about relationships like ours enough as it is. We want to start discussions without having people completely discredit us the second they hear us mention the  _ Spirit Bond." _

"The what." Jongdae's hand fidgeted against Kyungsoo's.

"That's...the kind of reaction we like to avoid."

Jongdae mumbled a quick  _ sorry,  _ and Sehun waved it off, his focus zeroing in on Kyungsoo, then Baekhyun and back. "It's a bond that can exist between species. A bond that exists without a bite."

Kyungsoo's insides seemed to collectively  _ flop.  _ "Wh-What?" Baekhyun asked. "Why wouldn't we know about something like this?"

"It's extremely rare," Sehun said. "So rare that decades ago, it was debunked and labeled an excuse for inter-species relationships when they were illegal."

"Old fairy tales..." Jongdae muttered, and Kyungsoo remembered too.

"Yes, actually." Junmyeon nodded. "The old, written tales about this are literally interpreted as fairy tales or myths now."

"Um." Kyungsoo cleared his throat. "Yeah. My brother's wife mentioned them. Said she read things about our sickness but wanted to look more into it before saying anything."

Their waiter approached with their coffees, letting them know their food was on the way. When he left, everyone looked at each other for a moment, seemingly at a loss.

"But...why are we getting sick?" Baekhyun asked. The tremor in his voice made Kyungsoo grip his hand tighter. "What does any of this have to do with...anything?"

Junmyeon deferred to Sehun, who nodded. "It's called a  _ Spirit Bond  _ because it's predetermined. When you meet, you're in it for life. You're literally meant to be together."

"I'm sorry..." Baekhyun hesitated. "Are you telling me we're  _ soulmates? _ Is that what we're saying here?"

Junmyeon laughed nervously. "More or less?"

Baekhyun sat back in his chair, releasing a breath like the wind had been knocked out of him. Kyungsoo could relate.  _ Soulmates?  _ "And that sickness?" he managed to ask.

"A Spirit Bond doesn't require a bite to exist," Sehun said. "But it requires a bite to settle."

Junmyeon nodded. "You're getting sick when you spend too much time apart. The first time took, what?" He looked to Kyungsoo for affirmation. "Four days or so?"

"Yeah..."

"And this time it took about three."

Sehun added, "It'll only get worse as time goes on. If you continue to go unmated, you'll reach a point where you won't be able to spend more than a day apart."

"Okay..." Baekhyun breathed.

Jongdae, voice rough, asked, "How do you guys know this for sure?"

Kyungsoo locked eyes with Junmyeon, who nodded. "Because they have the bond," Kyungsoo answered, a revelation even as he said it.

Sehun nodded as well. "We didn't even know. We knew each other for so long before we finally confessed. But we'd always been inseparable. Other than the inexplicable feelings that come with the bond—"

"That can just be written off as love at first sight type of feelings. Passion, even."

"Yeah. Other than that, the only real indicator is the sickness. It's like your bond begging you to reunite."

Junmyeon said, "Or trying to tell you that you're not meant to live without each other."

Silence fell over them all, and their food was set in front of them. Their untouched coffees were probably getting cold.

"I'm sorry," Junmyeon softly said, drawing Kyungsoo's attention away from the sandwich in front of him. "For not saying anything sooner. You know, you talked so much about how you couldn't explain your connection to them, which was innocent enough, and then you mentioned the first time you got sick, and I...I just needed to be sure. The way I saw it, if I had told you then, it either would've gotten messy if I was wrong, or you all would've written me off as crazy and I wouldn't be able to help if I was right."

Kyungsoo let go of Baekhyun's hand to reach across the table and squeeze Junmyeon's. "I get it, Junmyeon. Really. I'm not upset with you. I think we're all just..."

"Processing," Baekhyun finished, hand now gripping Kyungsoo's thigh instead.

Kyungsoo nodded and looked to Jongdae, who was staring at their entwined hands on his lap. Kyungsoo squeezed Jongdae's hand, stroked it with his thumb, but Jongdae didn't acknowledge him. He just stared. Baekhyun reached around Kyungsoo and gripped Jongdae's arm.

"So what?" Kyungsoo asked, trying to rid his voice of the worried trembling. "Never separate for longer than a day or two again, or the mating bite? Those are our choices, right?"

"Yes," Junmyeon said, and Sehun picked up where his hesitation left off.

"Not mating is incredibly risky. If something happened to one of you, unmated...the other would fall sick and...? Possibly never get well again?"

Junmyeon nodded. "Information is hazy once something starts being passed down as a fairy tale only. We only know what we've experienced, and what the wolf couple that helped us in Paris taught us.”

“They were…?” Baekhyun asked.

“Yes. Jongin and Taemin. By some twist of fate they were the ones who found me when I passed out. When I was waiting for Sehun to arrive. We ended up spending the entire trip with them. They’re some of our closest friends now.”

“They grew up on the tales,” Sehun said. “When they were kids, they decided to spend some time apart and pretend to get sick, an elaborate prank, I guess, only they really did get sick. They exchanged bites when they were sixteen. As soon as their canines fully grew in.”

“Jesus,” Baekhyun muttered. “I can’t even imagine—“

“Where does that leave me in all this?”

Everyone turned to Jongdae. Kyungsoo hadn’t realized they weren’t holding hands anymore. Instead, Jongdae’s fingertips were digging into his own thighs, hard, like he was struggling to ground himself. His cheeks were red too, and Kyungsoo was horrified to see his eyelashes pick up unshed tears.

Kyungsoo reached for him, wanted to pull him in, but Baekhyun was faster, bolting from his seat. He wrapped Jongdae tightly in his arms, lips at his ear muttering something Kyungsoo couldn’t hear. Kyungsoo rested his hand atop Jongdae’s, but Jongdae didn’t respond to it.

Baekhyun glanced at Kyungsoo, concern evident, then he was pulling Jongdae from his chair and dragging him off. Somewhere private, probably. Kyungsoo grasped the armrests of his chair, ready to follow, but Sehun shook his head. “It’s okay. I’ll go check on them. You and Jun should have some time.”

Kyungsoo eased back into his chair but didn’t relent his death grip on it, stuck staring in the direction his boyfriends had disappeared. He didn’t snap out of it until a hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned in surprise to find Junmyeon in Baekhyun’s chair, a sad smile on his lips.

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “I know this is big and scary, but does it really change much? Between the three of you?”

“No,” Kyungsoo answered without an ounce of hesitation. “It explains a lot but it doesn’t make me care for Jongdae any less. I’ve liked him too this entire time. And-And he and Baekhyun have been in love...their whole lives.”

Junmyeon nodded with his words, hand massaging Kyungsoo’s shoulder now. “Yes. Soo, the bond determines a lot, but it doesn’t determine everything. If Jongdae doesn’t see that right now, he will.”

“I just don’t want him to be upset.” Kyungsoo’s gaze fell to his lap, stomach swirling uncomfortably.

“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t think he is. I imagine he’s just overwhelmed, like you and Baekhyun. Maybe there was a knee-jerk reaction where he thought, for a second, he would suddenly be left out, but I don’t have to know him anymore than I do to know he’s smarter than that.” Junmyeon smiled. “Just from the way you talk about them, I can see that the three of you are in this together. For the long-haul.”

Kyungsoo nodded, feeling oddly overwhelmed all of a sudden, every emotion under the sun bubbling out of him. He shook his head when his eyes burned. He had no reason to cry, but he wasn’t even sure the threat of tears was only from feeding off of Jongdae’s upset. Kyungsoo was  _ relieved.  _ To know, know that he wasn’t crazy for becoming attached so fast, for feeling out of control every time Baekhyun was, for knowing now that their mutual sickness was certainly ominous in a sense, but it didn’t mean something inherently  _ bad. _

When Junmyeon pulled on his face, his lips were pushed into a pout as he wiped a stray tear from Kyungsoo’s cheek. “Let’s talk about something else until they get back, hm? It’s just us humans. Do you wanna ask me anything? Or should we just not even talk about wolves at all? The weather is lovely today!”

Kyungsoo laughed, a gross, watery sound as he scrubbed at his eyes. “I’m okay, Junmyeon. We can talk about…”

Junmyeon softened, smoothing down a piece of Kyungsoo’s hair before his hand returned to his shoulder. “What do you wanna know?”

“What does the bond feel like?” Kyungsoo eventually asked, unsure if it was the most pressing question, but it was still a burning curiosity all the same. “When it’s official?”

“Well, for one, you  _ can _ feel it, even as a human. Most people try to discredit that, but I can feel Sehun. Just, like, a subtle presence. It makes me feel safe.” The look on Junmyeon’s face, the softness in his eyes was nothing short of pure, unadulterated  _ love,  _ and Kyungsoo longed for it. For that feeling, unbidden and unrestrained. “It’s a much stronger feeling for the wolves involved. Sehun says the bond is so distinct it feels like there’s a string connecting us. That I even subconsciously tug on it when I want him closer, even though I can’t feel it that way. And from what we know from others, that’s specifically a Spirit Bond thing. What I feel is how a normal mating bond would feel between two wolves.”

“Yeah, that’s...pretty much how Jongdae described the bond after a bite. I think he called it a nudge.”

Junmyeon smiled. “That’s a good way to put it.”

“The bite…” Kyungsoo hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. He lowered his voice, though he doubted anyone was listening. “What is it really like? How bad does it hurt?”

With a hum, Junmyeon settled more comfortably in his chair, angled toward Kyungsoo and shifting his hand from Kyungsoo’s shoulder to his arm. It was comforting. “It’s weirder to think about it outside the moment, than it is actually in the moment,” Junmyeon said. “Other than the presence of the bond itself, the only time I’ve ever genuinely felt overcome by something unexplainable, supernatural, was the first time Sehun bit me. It’s hard to explain even now. He bit me, and it hurt like hell, until...it didn’t. It felt  _ so  _ good, and suddenly I had this, I don’t know, inexplicable urge, like I assume the wolves have, to bite him back. But of course, I couldn’t.”

“How did you…?”

“Sehun’s a bit dramatic, so he bit himself to give me something to work with. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Their fangs’ anti-venom, if you want to call it that, doesn’t really work on themselves. It took a little bit out of the moment, because he was in pain.”

“Oh. I mean, how else…”

Junmyeon shrugged. “Most wolves, from what I’ve heard, just nick their wrists or shoulders with a claw and let their human drink from that.”

A shudder racked through Kyungsoo’s body. “It’s just so weird to think about, like you said.”

“Trust me, I know.” Junmyeon smiled. “If you’d told me at the beginning of my relationship with Sehun that I’d be exchanging blood with him every six months because I like it, I’d have called you crazy.”

“Every six months?” Kyungsoo gaped. “Is that necessary?”

“No. You just need one time. I think it does strengthen the bond a bit, but that’s just...how it feels to me. Not proven. There’s something so...intimate about it. A kind of intimacy we only feel when we do it. And the bond is always more potent right after. I can feel things that I normally wouldn’t.”

“The taste…”

“That’s the weirdest thing. It still tastes like you would expect, copper, metallic, whatever, but their scent? You can taste it. Or, well, I don’t even know if I’m convinced it’s a real thing, honestly. Like I wonder if my brain tricks me so that it doesn’t taste so terrible, but Sehun and other wolves have confirmed that when they take someone’s blood in a mating ritual, the scent penetrates the taste. But you won’t be thinking about the taste the first time.” Junmyeon shook his head. “Especially being a soulmate. It overtakes you. I remember  _ begging  _ Sehun for the bite, because my body felt like it needed it. I had just been telling him how scared I was to try, and then I just... _ needed it.” _

A shudder rolled through Kyungsoo’s body again, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, processing. “I know there’s a part of me that wants it. The times Baekhyun has almost bitten me...I didn’t even  _ consider _ stopping him. Even during the second time we’d ever met. I didn’t know what came over me. It was only seeing how fucking freaked out Jongdae was that made me realize something was wrong.”

“Yeah, it’s…” Junmyeon sighed. “It just completely takes over sometimes.”

“What about the buzzing?” Kyungsoo suddenly asked.

“The buzzing?”

“It was stronger the night we met, and seemed to calm down the more we spent time together, but we would touch and—and it felt like I was going to vibrate right out of my skin.”

Junmyeon’s mouth pulled into a crooked, uncertain grin. “Huh,” he said. “It was a tingling for us. Like the feeling you get when your limbs are falling asleep. It must be different for various couples. Maybe it’s based on energy, or maybe people just interpret the feeling differently.”

Kyungsoo slumped back in his seat, the reality of the situation seeming to slam into him all at once. This was real. They were,  _ literally,  _ living through a fairy tale. All of them. 

“This is insane.”

Junmyeon huffed. “I know. Kinda tosses your worldview on its head, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” A silence fell between them, Kyungsoo assumed because Junmyeon was trying to give him time. After a while though, words were pressing at the brim of his lips, falling out as an uncertain whisper. “You’re sure the bite feels...good?”

“Not at first. I don’t want to mislead you. It’s takes a minute for your body to process it. It...hurts like hell at first. You have to push through it, but when you do…” Junmyeon sighed. “Their venom or anti-venom or whatever sets in, and it numbs the pain, but it doesn’t numb anything else. It really is intimate. Once you’re able to relax…the pleasure is immeasurable. And the bond is as strong as it ever is. Every time, it’s like I can feel Sehun the same way he can always feel me. I can feel his happiness, his pleasure, which only amplifies mine, which amplifies his, et cetera. A vicious cycle, but  _ the best  _ sex we ever have.”

Kyungsoo laughed, even if it was more hysteria pushing it out than amusement. He shook his head. “Good enough to make you go through it every six months.”

Junmyeon nudged him with his elbow, winking when Kyungsoo looked at him. “It’s so worth it, Soo. You’ll see.”

“Ah, yeah.” Kyungsoo swallowed. “I guess I will. The bond really settles after that? No more sickness.”

“No more sickness. The fresh bite-induced-bond needs to be nurtured though, pesky little thing. You should spend a lot of time together after. Love each other. After about a week, maybe two, it’ll let you have your life back.”

Their conversation devolved into more mundane things, a strategy put into place by Junmyeon trying to calm him down, no doubt. It worked eventually though, Kyungsoo giggling and feeling less like he was going to crumble into a million pieces the second the wind blew, just as the three missing wolves re-entered the cafe’s outdoor patio.

The way Jongdae approached him was cautious at best, the look on his face giving Kyungsoo the impression that if he was presenting his tail, it would be tucked between his legs. Kyungsoo shook his head, holding his hand out for him, and Jongdae launched for him, startling Kyungsoo when he landed, curled up in Kyungsoo’s lap, face pressing into his neck.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to react like that—I’m so happy for you guys, really—“

Kyungsoo tried to shake the shock of having Jongdae in his lap, who always, always seemed to have either him or Baekhyun in his. Kyungsoo had always written it off as his macho Alpha instincts, wanting to cradle one of them, hold them, protect them.  _ This  _ was new. Though, not unwelcome.

“Hey, hey,” Kyungsoo said, gently shushing him. He wrapped him up tightly in his arms. “What are you apologizing for, huh?” He glanced up when familiar hands slid onto his shoulders from behind, and Baekhyun used the opportunity to kiss his forehead. A blanket of calm settled over him, and Kyungsoo registered that it wasn’t a normal feeling. Soulmates.

“Still,” Jongdae said. “I shouldn’t have—I should only ever be supportive. I shouldn’t be so overcome like that that I can’t even be there for you—“

“Stop that,” Kyungsoo sighed. “Stop beating yourself up. I’m not upset, Dae. I’m in shock, maybe, but I think it’s safe to say all three of us are. You didn’t cause that.”

"You're really not mad?" Jongdae asked, voice barely there. He slid his hand between them, pressing his fingers against Kyungsoo's chest, right over his heart. "I don't know what came over me. I'm not--I'm not the jealous type--"

"Shh..." Kyungsoo glanced at Junmyeon cuddled under Sehun's arm, watching them. He felt his face pinching with tension, concern. Junmyeon nodded at him, and he brushed his fingers through Jongdae's hair. "Jongdae, you know this doesn't change anything, right?" he asked.

Jongdae pulled back, blinking at him through puffy eyes. His bottom lip trembled, and Kyungsoo brushed his thumb across it. "I know. I know."

Baekhyun stroked his fingers down Kyungsoo's neck, making him look up. "He's only upset now because he thinks he hurt our feelings, darling. Even though I've already told him twenty times I would've knee-jerk-reacted the same way if the roles had been reversed." Baekhyun reached down to tweak Jongdae’s ear. “In fact, I’d probably still be crying, so.”

“Nuh-uh.” Jongdae shook his head, almost petulant. “You’re—“ He caught Baekhyun’s hand when it reached down to play with his ear again, grasping it. “You’re so much stronger than I am, Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo heard Baekhyun sigh, and then was enveloped in his heat, Baekhyun hunching over and resting his chin on his shoulder. “It’s not a competition.” His fingers slid down Jongdae’s cheek. “You’re allowed to feel, baby. You don’t have to be so cookie-cutter all the time. You’re ours, regardless.”

It didn’t take long to coax Jongdae back into his own seat, to calm his nerves and convince him they really weren’t upset with him. He could only do so much disbelieving when he literally had the ability to tell if they were lying or not. Even if that hadn’t been the case, Kyungsoo liked to think they’d done a lot of trust-building in their several months together that could have debunked his worries on its own.

They ate their cold food and drank their cold coffee over quiet, get-to-know-each-other chatter, contentedness seeming to settle over all of them. They silently agreed to avoid the heavy topics for a bit, to let everyone process, and instead exchanged stories about how they all met. The happiness radiating from Baekhyun as he recounted them saving Kyungsoo from ultimate terror made Kyungsoo exchange a knowing grin with Junmyeon. Junmyeon knew all of it already, but Baekhyun's genuine  _ puppy _ energy was way too cute to interrupt. Junmyeon nudged his foot beneath the table.  _ We'll let him have this one, _ he seemed to be conveying. Kyungsoo wholeheartedly agreed, resting his hand on Jongdae's when it slid onto his thigh, and propping his chin in his other to watch Baekhyun talk.

It wasn't just stories as such; Kyungsoo realized there was only so much you could learn about a person through messages and videos. He learned that despite Sehun's intimidating stature and broody eyebrows, he positively was spoiled by Junmyeon, melted under his touches and softened all over when Junmyeon fed him bites of his own food, or wiped at his mouth with his thumb. It was sweet.

He also learned that Junmyeon's kindness didn't stop at helping strangers. It was evident in every move he made, every word he spoke, to them, to Sehun, to the waiter, just how kind he was. Even that made Kyungsoo warm, to know that he had accidentally made a friend so genuine.

"It's nice out today," Sehun eventually idly commented, watching his own fingers brush through Junmyeon's black hair. "Should we stretch our legs a bit?"

Jongdae hummed. "There's a nice park down the road, isn't there?"

"I wouldn't mind taking a walk," Baekhyun murmured, even though he had just scooted his chair closer to Kyungsoo's to rest his head on his shoulder.

Sehun smiled, tilting his head. "When's the last time you two shifted, anyway? There's a nice like, sub-park where we're legally allowed to shift."

Baekhyun and Jongdae glanced at each other. "We, uh—" Jongdae started. "It's been a while. We only run with our families during lunar eclipses. We're no longer allowed at the family full moon gatherings."

Kyungsoo frowned. He didn't know that. In fact, he had never even considered when or where they might shift into their wolf forms. He knew from Chanyeol that doing it was like a release in a way, to let the wolf out and shake the human side. Chanyeol hardly ever did though, without other wolf friends or family around. In fact, Kyungsoo had only seen Chanyeol in his wolf form once.

"You wanna?" Sehun's grin widened. It was clear his mind was already made up.

Kyungsoo glanced around when no one answered, only to find everyone looking at him. He blinked at Jongdae. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Well," he hedged. "You've never seen me and Baek. I wasn't sure..."

The corners of Kyungsoo's mouth pulled into a deep frown. "Why does that matter?" When Jongdae didn't answer, he turned to Baekhyun. "What? Is shifting like, sacred? Are we not far enough along in our relationship—"

"No, it's nothing like that, baby," Baekhyun assured him, hands placating where they smoothed along his cheeks. "It's just—sometimes humans aren't comfortable when we go full wolf—"

Kyungsoo softened with his sigh. "You think I care about that?" He turned to Jongdae. "I'm not under any illusions that I'm dating humans, y'know."

That, at least, made Jongdae smile. "I just wanted to be sure. Yixing mentioned that Chanyeol hadn't shifted in years before him and Min took him out one night, so I didn't know how you felt about it."

Kyungsoo huffed, pushing his seat back so he could stand. He spread both his hands out, waiting for his wolves to take them. “Let’s go on that walk, yeah?”

Junmyeon and Sehun grinned at him.

The walk was easy, maybe half-a-mile down the street until they were crossing the open field that made up most of the park. Their pace slowed once they passed the playground, Kyungsoo happily basking in the sun as Baekhyun jumped on Jongdae’s back, giggling into his neck. Junmyeon and Sehun glanced back at them from ahead, hand in hand, laughing at the sight.

They stopped several yards from the tree line that concealed the wolf clearing when Junmyeon got a phone call. Kyungsoo sat on a nearby bench to check his own phone, Baekhyun plopping down next to him. Jongdae, however, practically bounded over to Sehun, making Kyungsoo frown curiously before he shot a quick  _ got a lot to tell you, yeol  _ text to Chanyeol.

Junmyeon approached after a quiet moment, leaning down to whisper in Kyungsoo’s ear. “I think he’s trying to give you guys a minute. You haven’t gotten one yet.”

Kyungsoo glanced at Jongdae, whose back  _ was _ resolutely pointed at them, deeply engaged in an unheard conversation with Sehun. He chewed on his lip as Junmyeon smiled at him. What would they even talk about, if they had a minute? What did you say when you found out not only that soulmates were real, but that you had one?

A hand reached near his face, and Kyungsoo looked up to see Baekhyun standing. “Walk with me?”

Kyungsoo sighed at the sight of his hopeful smile and nodded. He took Baekhyun’s hand, and they clasped them tight as they moved away from the group.

They were a solid distance from the rest before Baekhyun spoke up, closer to the line of trees they needed to walk through than the center of the park.

“I can’t believe we’re soulmates,” he said, the words trembling under a nervous laugh. He eased to a stop and pulled Kyungsoo closer by the hand.

“I can,” Kyungsoo said, because god, what was the point in holding these things in? Especially now?

Baekhyun looked rightfully surprised, eyes blinking wide, and then it melted into the softest, most private of grins. He nodded, hands sinking into Kyungsoo’s hair. “Yeah, I can too, baby.”

They pressed their smiles together, eventually letting them dissolve into a kiss that shook Kyungsoo to his core, that made him walk until Baekhyun was pressed against a tree, giggles bubbling out of him for Kyungsoo to swallow. “It’s weird,” he muttered, lips dragging down the line of Baekhyun’s jaw. “To think about it.” He shuddered when Baekhyun’s hands slid onto his skin under his shirt. “But it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Fingertips dug in, when Kyungsoo’s teeth scraped. “More than you know. Kyungsoo—“ Baekhyun sighed. “I knew you were mine the minute I met you.”

Kyungsoo picked his head up, nudging their noses as he searched Baekhyun’s eyes. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah. I think I did too.”

Baekhyun nodded as he pressed forward. “Mine,” he murmured right into Kyungsoo’s mouth. “My mate. I’m—I’m so happy.”

The only response Kyungsoo was capable of was a kiss, a thousand kisses, pouring his feelings into them, the words he couldn’t say. They kissed until it turned mirthful, nips and giggles. Baekhyun shrieked when Kyungsoo playfully snapped at his neck, dissolving to the ground in laughter while Kyungsoo’s fingers poked and prodded, tickling him just to hear the sweet sound of his laughter.

Neither of them flinched when Jongdae threw himself on them, creating a dogpile, turning the tide and helping Baekhyun tickle Kyungsoo instead. His cheeks hurt by the end of it, and Jongdae kissed his face all over like he knew.

Kyungsoo was flat on his back in the grass, both of his wolves half on top of him, sharing the space. He looked between them, their matching flushed cheeks, Jongdae’s curly smile versus Baekhyun’s rectangular one, and he knew. Kyungsoo knew that this so-called Spirit Bond didn’t matter, because he was exactly where he was supposed to be, ever since that first night at the bar. He loved Jongdae as much as he loved Baekhyun, and an ancient, supernatural connection or lack thereof wouldn’t change that.

“I’m happy, too,” he said, a late response to Baekhyun, but something he wanted them both to hear. It wasn’t  _ I love you,  _ still, but he thought they probably knew anyway. Even if they somehow couldn’t sense it, they could hear the way his heart thundered with affection every time they so much as looked at him, and even right now.

“Oh, my baby,” Jongdae murmured, peppering kisses all over him again. Baekhyun buried his face in Kyungsoo’s neck. “Me too.”

Junmyeon and Sehun eventually interrupted them, gently suggesting they get a move on while they still have daylight. So the three of them begrudgingly climbed to their feet, and Kyungsoo burned up to his neck when Baekhyun and Jongdae each took one of his hands, sticking close the entire rest of the walk.

The clearing wasn’t much. The grass was taller, wildflowers wilder, with a visible trail leading into the trees on the other side of the field. Without a word, Sehun started unbuttoning his shirt and Junmyeon planted himself on the ground, with his back against a tree from the line they had just walked through, making himself comfortable. It was a routine for them, clearly.

Kyungsoo hesitated when his wolves let go of his hands to follow Sehun’s lead, suddenly feeling incredibly out of his depth. At least, until Junmyeon softly called him over, holding his hand out until Kyungsoo took it and joined him. “It’ll be nice to see Sehunnie have someone to run around with,” Junmyeon said. All three wolves were down to their underwear now, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but rake his eyes appreciatively over Baekhyun and Jongdae’s bodies. He groaned when Baekhyun winked at him over his shoulder. Junmyeon cackled. “Wolves, right?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, lips pulling into a grin. “Wolves.”

Junmyeon’s next words were cut off when Sehun began morphing, shrinking down and growing all at once. Kyungsoo watched in awe; he had seen Chanyeol’s wolf form, but had never watched him change. Movies always depicted it as something ugly, something painful, but it was actually kind of a beautiful transformation. He couldn’t take his eyes away, even once Sehun was only wolf, large, maybe even more so than Chanyeol, and jet black. Though when he bounded up to Junmyeon, Kyungsoo noticed his fur was streaked with grey as well.

He startled when a wet nose pressed into his cheek, turning to find a silver wolf, smaller than Sehun but so fucking  _ beautiful,  _ standing before him, head slightly lowered. Like he was uncertain.

“Hey there,” Kyungsoo said, for lack of anything better. He tentatively tangled his fingers in Baekhyun’s fur, scratching at his head, and Baekhyun’s mouth fell open,  _ smiling _ and tongue lolling out. Kyungsoo laughed, and Baekhyun licked his cheek, which only made him laugh more. 

After a moment, Baekhyun stuck his nose against Kyungsoo’s neck, snuffling. “Even like this, huh?” Kyungsoo asked. Baekhyun softly barked. A head butted his arm on his free side, and Kyungsoo smiled before he even saw Jongdae. “Hey to you too,” Kyungsoo murmured, giving him the same treatment he gave Baekhyun. Jongdae seemed just as tentative as Baekhyun had been, even once Kyungsoo started petting him, but when Kyungsoo murmured, “God, you’re both so beautiful,” Jongdae relaxed and pressed forward to lick his ear. Jongdae’s fur, when the sunlight caught it, was actually a deep, golden brown, and Kyungsoo thought he was simply breathtaking. They both were.

Once approval had been sought and received, Sehun barked, a few feet away now, and ran further into the field as soon as Baekhyun and Jongdae looked at him. They both quickly licked Kyungsoo’s cheeks before bounding off after him.

Kyungsoo pressed his weight against Junmyeon, a breath huffing past his lips. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Junmyeon asked. He shifted his arm, wrapping it around Kyungsoo and letting him fall further into him, squeezing Kyungsoo.

“It is. They’re amazing.”

They spent the next hour just like that; Junmyeon and Kyungsoo softly chatting while the wolves ran around, weaving in and out of the trees, disappearing down the trail for a while only to come back chasing each other full-speed. Kyungsoo lost count of how often Baekhyun or Jongdae tackled the other, making them roll around in the grass together with whimpers that almost sounded like laughter.

Jongdae was the first to throw in the towel, panting as he trotted over to Kyungsoo. He plopped down, Kyungsoo automatically accommodating him by opening his legs so Jongdae could lay between them. He nestled his head on Kyungsoo’s thigh, sighing in what sounded like contentment.

Baekhyun and Sehun took to tackling each other in his absence, their yips and playful snarls filling the air around them, even as the sun settled behind the trees. 

Jongdae snoozing in his lap made Kyungsoo’s eyes start to droop, and before he knew it, Baekhyun and Sehun were joining the pile too, everyone getting far too comfortable considering they should be headed back to civilization soon. Kyungsoo didn’t mind, though, warm as he soaked in the affection surrounding him.

Maybe Chanyeol and Seungsoo weren’t his only family after all.


	11. Lazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo and Baekhyun prepare to send Jongdae off on vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 3.2k

Kyungsoo sighed, eyelids fluttering as fingers trickled across his skin. He was warm everywhere his body met Baekhyun’s, though he couldn’t be sure which was which anymore. Not when he tingled all over in time with the slow, syrupy kisses Baekhyun pressed against his mouth, his cheek, his neck. They were helplessly tangled, almost naked beneath the sheets, but this wasn’t going anywhere. They didn’t need more than this, right here, right now, together. 

There was a movie playing on the TV in the background, abandoned for this. A lazy makeout on a cold Monday morning. Kyungsoo had never been happier, more content.

Baekhyun’s breath ghosted across Kyungsoo’s damp skin between neck and shoulder kisses. Kyungsoo’s fingers danced along the trails of sunlight cast across Baekhyun’s thigh until it curled around Kyungsoo’s hip. Soft. Warm. Kyungsoo wondered if this, this was the quintessence of love.

Jongdae found them just like that, movie faded to black and movements much more lethargic, having long settled into the laziness of it all. His laugh was soft as he edged onto the bed, and he leaned down to kiss Baekhyun’s cheek.

“How long have you two been at this, huh?” He cupped Kyungsoo’s cheek. “Thought for a sec you’d melted together.”

Baekhyun hummed, drunk on affection, and reached back for Jongdae’s head, tugging until they properly kissed. Kyungsoo watched as Jongdae sighed into his lips, a smile pulling at all three of their mouths.

“Mm—you’re really—feeling it today—huh, Baek?” Jongdae muttered between dragging kisses.

Kyungsoo grinned. “Welcome home,” he said as he stretched, as best as he could while he was still tangled with Baekhyun, at least.

Jongdae broke away to peer at him, an indecipherable look in his eyes, but he was immediately distracted by Baekhyun unbuttoning his dress shirt. 

“Too many clothes,” Baekhyun softly whined. “This is a no clothes zone.”

Jongdae bursted out laughing, gently taking Baekhyun’s hands in his and kissing them. “Idiot.”

Baekhyun pouted. “Be nice.”

“Love you.”

The pout smoothed into a grin. “That’s better.”

“Mm-hmm.” Jongdae leaned down for another kiss, then lifted himself to reach over and kiss Kyungsoo, too. “I should pack,” he eventually said with a sigh.

Baekhyun cleared his throat. “Can you at least do it naked so we can get some entertainment around here?”

It was a joke—Jongdae’s laughing proved it—but it was a joke to mask Baekhyun’s disappointment. Kyungsoo didn’t have to be a wolf to notice that.

His stomach twisted and he rolled onto his back, untangled and head turned away from them. The guilt washing over him was a reflex reaction that he should’ve known would cause the way he was pounced on, Baekhyun straddling his hips and Jongdae sliding into Baekhyun’s previous position. “Don’t do that,” Jongdae said as Baekhyun grabbed Kyungsoo’s face, frown louder than any of their words could ever be.

“It’s not your fault,” Baekhyun said.

Kyungsoo chewed on his cheek, eyes averted from the love in Baekhyun’s eyes. “I mean, it literally is, so…”

The dates Kyungsoo had seen in Jongdae’s phone calendar weren’t for the wolves’ ruts; it was for a vacation they had planned with Yixing and Minseok, a simple trip to New York for a concert turned extended vacation. It came up in conversation maybe a few days before Kyungsoo’s visit with his brother, when the three of them were moping about being apart. An invitation was extended to Kyungsoo, but when he double-checked the dates in his own calendar, he realized he had two huge meetings with the two companies he did most of his freelancing for. He couldn’t miss them.

Now that they knew about the Spirit Bond, it meant Baekhyun couldn’t go either. No amount of convincing would rid Kyungsoo of that guilt.

Fingers gently stroked his hair, fingers entwined with his on Baekhyun’s thigh, and the silence of the room stretched, expanded, until it was too much even for Kyungsoo. When he looked back at Baekhyun’s soft, brown eyes, Baekhyun was smiling at him, muted, sympathetic. “My Soo. You didn’t choose this for us. Fate did.” His hand left Kyungsoo’s hair and trailed down his chest, stopping over Kyungsoo’s heart. “Guilt is such a tricky feeling. Sticky. I know I can’t stop you from feeling it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying. We won’t.”

“Baek—“

Baekhyun kissed him. “The only other thing I want to do this week other than go to that concert with Jongdae, is stay in bed with you,” he said, punctuating it with another kiss. “I’d say I win either way.”

Kyungsoo tried to believe him, nodding before the feeling really settled. He stroked Baekhyun’s cheek with his thumb as he pressed their mouths together again. 

Jongdae squeezed his hand. “This just means we gotta plan our own vacation. The three of us.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said, puckering his lips just in time for Jongdae. “Yeah, definitely.”

“Hey,” Jongdae said as Baekhyun descended on Kyungsoo’s neck. “We’ll always tell you if we’re upset about something. You know that, right?”

Resignation made a little of the tension in Kyungsoo bleed away. He nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

Jongdae nodded. “Okay. Good. Now let us take care of you, yeah?”

On cue, Baekhyun swiveled his hips just barely, but enough for Kyungsoo to breathe in too sharply. “Okay,” was all he managed to say before he was devoured by wolves.

The sweat had long dried when Kyungsoo blinked his bleary eyes open to the feeling of blunt teeth gently gnawing on his shoulder. He was still drifting a bit in the lingering afterglow of slow, slow sex, loose-limbed, but his hand found Baekhyun’s hair anyway, scratching his scalp. Jongdae matched the action, only on Kyungsoo’s lower belly instead.

“Sometimes…” Baekhyun whispered. “Sometimes the urge is so strong.” He bit down on Kyungsoo’s flesh again. “Like it’s always been with Jongdae. But I learned how to control it with Jongdae. But it’s still hard—and during ruts? I don’t know how I’m supposed to learn all over again.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo said, unsure of what else to say, really. 

Baekhyun, even quieter, said, “I’m so scared I’m going to lose myself and hurt you.” 

Both Jongdae and Kyungsoo pounced, just like Jongdae and Baekhyun had before, hands everywhere in an attempt to soothe. “I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo said again. “I wish I knew what that felt like so I could understand—”

Jongdae was nodding; he’d hopped over Kyungsoo at lightning speed to press Baekhyun into the mattress, hands cupping Baekhyun’s face. “It’s hard for me too, baby. Maybe it’s not the same, but god Baek, I wanna bite you every day. And Kyungsoo—don’t you remember the night we met him? His scent made me lose it for a minute. My teeth cut him. Maybe we don’t have a Spirit Bond, but scents still factor into it, and I’ve never been attracted to anyone’s scent more than both of yours.” He pressed their foreheads together. “It’s hard for me, too. With both of you.” Kyungsoo settled closer, kissing Jongdae’s arm. “You’re not alone,” Jongdae whispered.

Baekhyun nodded, but he still looked on the edge. “Our ruts are coming up, Dae,” he said. “What do I do? What if I can’t—”

“You  _ can.” _ Jongdae pressed their lips together. “And even if you have trouble, if Kyungsoo agrees to be there,  _ I’ll  _ be there. Being in rut won’t stop me from looking out for you, baby.”

“Okay…” Baekhyun sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

Kyungsoo hesitated. “And...Baek, you know I can take the bite.” Baekhyun whimpered, eyes cutting to Kyungsoo’s face. “Humans can handle it. Junmyeon even said it feels good. Sehun bites him regularly. For fun.”

“Even so…” Jongdae sighed, thumbs massaging Baekhyun’s cheeks. “It’s so risky. There’s our families for one. Our pack. That’ll put a hold on it for a long time. And what if our saliva isn’t enough to seal it back up? And-And we don’t let you go because our wolves—”

“It would be enough, and you would let me go. It’s not like it has to happen during your ruts anyway. But I do want—” Kyungsoo cleared his throat, faltering. “—to be there. For your ruts. I want to. I wasn’t sure you wanted me to…”

Jongdae made a pained noise in his throat, shaking his head. He sat up on Baekhyun’s thighs and rubbed his eyes. Baekhyun followed him, wrapping him in a hug, hand reaching out for one of Kyungsoo’s. “Of course we want you there,” Jongdae said.

Baekhyun sighed. “We keep avoiding talking about this, don’t we?”

“Not intentionally, I don’t think,” Kyungsoo said. He squeezed Baekhyun’s hand. “We’ve had a lot going on.”

Jongdae agreed. “Are you sure you want to be there, Soo? Do you have any questions?”

“I’m sure.” Kyungsoo sat up too. “I’ve talked with Junmyeon about it...a lot. I don’t think I could be much more prepared. Uh, when are your ruts though?”

Slowly, Jongdae nodded. “A month from now.” They all let that sink in. “Not gonna lie, babe, the thought of you taking one of our knots still scares the shit out of me. Almost as much as you taking the bite.”

“I know.” Kyungsoo brushed a chunk of hair from Jongdae’s forehead. “But in case you haven’t noticed, I asked Baek to help me stretch to build up a tolerance once and he’s obsessed with it now. I think I’m ready.”

That, at least, made Jongdae laugh, Baekhyun’s giggle pressed into his chest. “Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed.”

“I’ve been  _ helping,” _ Baekhyun faux-whined. “You like it.”

Kyungsoo laughed. “Never said otherwise.”

“Come here,” Baekhyun murmured, dragging him by the hair until they were locked in a kiss. Jongdae grabbed him next, doing the same. “There’s still some things to worry about,” Baekhyun said with a sigh. “Like my wolf wanting to bite you. Our wolves wanting to both knot you, probably. Even as prepared as you are, baby, one is gonna be a lot. One time is gonna be a lot.”

Jongdae hummed. “If it’s okay with you,” he said, “I thought maybe we could still ask Minseok to join us. To help. But only if you feel comfortable with that.”

“Ah,” Kyungsoo let the idea sink in. “I don’t know? I mean, of course I don’t have a problem with you guys being with—but I don’t know if—”

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, hand smoothing along Kyungsoo’s cheek. “I get it. It takes a certain level of comfort. I get it.”

Kyungsoo sagged. “Yeah.”

“We could ask Yixing and Chanyeol,” Baekhyun gently suggested. “I know Yixing is the same situation as Minseok, but Chanyeol is Kyungsoo’s...person.”

Jongdae shook his head. “I’m not sure an Omega who smells so much like Kyungsoo is a good idea.”

Baekhyun frowned, and Kyungsoo shrugged. “I trust you guys. Even if you think you’re going to have a hard time, I know you would never hurt me. No matter what.”

“If anything is too much…” Jongdae hedged.

“I’ll tell you to stop, and you’ll listen. I trust you. It’ll be fine with just the three of us.”

Baekhyun sighed, fingers trailing down Kyungsoo’s chest. “Our human, so much surer than we are.”

“You and me are a mess,” Jongdae muttered into Baekhyun’s hair, teasing. “Kyungsoo is the glue that holds us together now.”

Warmth swelled in Kyungsoo’s chest, and he shook his head. “Go pack.”

His wolves laughed. “You can’t ignore our affection!” Baekhyun exclaimed.

_ “Try me,” _ Kyungsoo wheezed, because Baekhyun and Jongdae were already on him, tickling and kissing him until he couldn’t breathe.

When Jongdae finally did get up to pack, Baekhyun dragged himself after him to help, and Kyungsoo left the room with passing shoulder kisses to slip into the shower. He’d only get in the way, and he wanted to give them some time to themselves before Jongdae left for four days.

The hot water soothed his muscles that were beginning to ache, and washed away the post-sex grime. With those things out of the way, everything else started to nudge at the edges of his brain until he was done washing up and merely standing under the showerhead, processing, thoughts bouncing.

He was going to miss Jongdae.

He was surprised Jongdae had mostly-readily agreed to the rut stuff.

What if Baekhyun  _ did _ resent him for keeping him from going on the trip?

What if Junmyeon was wrong and knots  _ did _ hurt like hell?

What if— 

“So quiet and so loud at the same time.”

Kyungsoo jumped, turning wide eyes on Jongdae as he slipped into the shower with him. He watched as the rivulets formed when Jongdae stepped under the spray as well, shaping his sculpted cheekbones. Even when Jongdae’s hands slid along his wet skin, all Kyungsoo could do was watch, watch until Jongdae’s hair was soaked through, weighed down on his forehead.

“You’re so—“ he croaked out, but he didn’t know what word to land on. Handsome? Beautiful? Sculpted by God himself?

It didn’t matter, because Jongdae was kissing him.

“Baek?” Kyungsoo gasped when his back hit the cold tile wall. Words could only come between biting kisses and searing touches.

“Went to get food,” Jongdae answered eventually, before dropping to his knees and wrapping his curly lips around Kyungsoo’s cock. Kyungsoo sagged against the wall, hands scrambling for purchase. Nails on the tile, fingers in Jongdae’s hair.

Jongdae drew Kyungsoo to the edge, again and again, until he was hoisted in the air, pinned to the wall, Jongdae entering him like he’d never exited him. This was a different kind of desperation than the bedroom; this was quick, frantic, skin-slapping thrusts that punched moans right out of Kyungsoo’s chest.

“Jongdae, Dae,  _ Dae—“ _ Kyungsoo sang, chanted, when he wasn’t utterly heaving for air. Jongdae swallowed it all up regardless, lapping the sounds up with his tongue and biting down anywhere his teeth could reach. Kyungsoo was seeing stars before he even reached his climax.

When they came to, Jongdae’s face was pressed against Kyungsoo’s neck, still holding him up, still inside him.

The ringing in Kyungsoo’s ears faded once he caught his breath, and Jongdae whispered, “I’m gonna miss you.”

“We’ve done this before, Dae,” Kyungsoo reassured him. “We’ll be okay.” 

“It just feels different this time. It feels harder to leave you both. Feels like I can’t.” 

“You can.” Kyungsoo hugged his head. “I’m gonna miss you too, though, for what it’s worth.”

Jongdae whimpered but nodded, pressing a kiss to his neck before pulling back to look at Kyungsoo’s face. “C’mere,” Jongdae muttered, hand guiding Kyungsoo’s jaw into a soft kiss, a sharp contrast from before. “Are you okay? Was that too rough?” His hand dropped from Kyungsoo’s face to his hip, massaging his skin. 

Kyungsoo shook his head, nudging their noses. “I liked it.” He watched as Jongdae’s eyes drooped in time with his smile, and Kyungsoo’s heart melted.

“Yeah. Was real good, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Let’s not make a habit of wasting water though, hm?”

“Ugh, you’re so hot when you’re responsible.”

Kyungsoo snorted, shoving at Jongdae’s shoulder. “Shut  _ up.” _

They were standing side by side in the kitchen, leaned against the counter and drinking water when Kyungsoo’s phone rang. “It’s Seungsoo, baby,” Jongdae murmured, passing it to him.

Kyungsoo hummed before swallowing his last gulp of water, then answered. “Hey Seung, you’re on speaker. Just Jongdae’s here.”

_ “Hey brother. Jongdae. You’re on speaker as well.” _

“Hey Seungsoo and Mina!”

“What’s up?” Kyungsoo asked, chuckling.. “How’re you two doing? How are the kids?”

_ “We’re all great, Kyungsoo!”  _ Mina answered.  _ “What about you guys? Baekhyun?” _

Jongdae was wrapping himself snugly around Kyungsoo’s waist, pressing a kiss on his neck, and Kyungsoo felt that newly familiar brand of affection swell up within him. “We’re good. Really, really good.” Jongdae hummed his agreement. “Uh, a lot’s been going on.”

_ “You guys aren’t still sick, are you?” _ Seungsoo asked.

“No. No. Uh, we figured that out.”

Mina’s voice was suddenly a lot closer.  _ “Anything to do with fairy tales?” _

“Yep.” Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “Spirit Bond. Me and Baek.”

_ “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s real!” _

_ “Mina went nuts trying to find the old storybook her grandmother used to read to her. She literally just hunted it down yesterday.” _

_ “I spent all night reading it. Everything it mentioned sounded like what was happening to you guys.” _

Kyungsoo settled more into Jongdae’s embrace as he dove into the story of Junmyeon, Sehun, and everything that happened the day they all met. Seungsoo and Mina were active listeners, asking the same questions Chanyeol had, like what they could do to ease the sickness, are they going to mate, are they going to  _ move in together. _ As much as Kyungsoo knew now that he and Baekhyun were inevitable, as much as he knew he was falling deeper and deeper with his wolves every single day, even the thought of moving in with them, away from Chanyeol was too much for now.

“We don’t live far from each other,” Kyungsoo explained to his brother, just like he had to Chanyeol. “Maybe it’d be different if we lived hours apart. But they’re a ten minute drive from my apartment. I’m not ready to leave Chanyeol and I think we have a lot of things to figure out before taking a step like that.”

_ “Yet you’re ready to mate?” _

Kyungsoo faltered. “Well—I’m…”

_ “Ah, I’m not judging you, brother. Even Mina and I have talked about doing it. But the urges are a little different when it’s just an Omega and human involved, I think.” _

Mina confirmed.  _ “My wolf wants to mate, of course, but it’s Alpha bonds and power that drive that desire more than anything. Plus, I can’t seal the wound as an Omega, so there’s worry there too.” _

“It’s just different for them,” Jongdae murmured. “For Baek and Kyungsoo. They have to mate, to be able to live normal lives. In this case, I’d say mating and moving in are equal levels of  _ Big Step, _ so I agree we should take it as slowly as we can. One thing at a time.”

A natural lull in conversation drifted in soon after that, which was, of course, when Baekhyun decided to burst back into the apartment, all gorgeous smile and rustling takeout bags. 

When he reached the kitchen, he halted, sniffing the air once. Dramatic. He pouted. “Play time without me? Really?”

Groaning, Kyungsoo snatched his phone from the counter and took Seungsoo off of speaker, though it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway. “I’m going to go,” he mumbled through Seungsoo’s laughter.

_ “Yeah, alright. Talk to you soon, brother?” _

“Yeah, definitely. Thanks for checking in on us.”

_ “Of course. I love you.” _

Kyungsoo swallowed. “Love you too.”

When he set his phone back down, Jongdae was grinning. “Guess you’ll just have to take a shower too, Baek.” 

Kyungsoo snorted, muttering, “Insatiable,” and Jongdae just responded by smacking a loud kiss on his cheek before taking one of the food bags from Baekhyun’s hands. After a quick kiss from Baekhyun, the three of them sorted through the food together, and settled on the living room floor, and immediately started picking food from each other’s foam containers.

After, Jongdae made good on his promise, and Kyungsoo fell asleep cocooned in their bed, listening to the sound of Baekhyun’s soft moans echoing in the shower.


	12. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae goes on vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 9.6k

The breeze whipped Kyungsoo's hair from his forehead as he plopped into the grass, pointlessly shoving at Chanyeol when  _ he _ plopped right onto Kyungsoo's lap. He rolled around until he was comfortable, head nestled soundly on Kyungsoo's thigh. They sighed in tandem. It was a nice day, even if Kyungsoo's heart already ached after Jongdae had only been gone one day. Baekhyun was distracting himself with streaming. Kyungsoo had just gotten back from his first meeting of the week, and thought he should perhaps spend some time in his own apartment, with his best friend. Their apartment complex had just opened a community garden, so they'd decided to unwind out there. Even if Kyungsoo didn't care to get out much, there was something refreshing in sitting, surrounded by beautiful flowers.

Though, just like most things these days, it only reminded him of his wolves.

“You’re…” Chanyeol started, mouth twisting as he stared up at Kyungsoo. “Not sad, I don’t think. But...pensive. Melancholic.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “There’s just been so much happening. Kind of all crashes into me at once in quiet moments like this.”

“Is that why you came home? Because everything is overwhelming you?”

“No.” Kyungsoo frowned. He stroked one of Chanyeol’s wolf ears. “Why wouldn’t I come home?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “I dunno. I just thought you and Baekhyun would be inseparable once Jongdae left. To like, fill the void or something.”

It wasn’t like Chanyeol was wrong—the desire was there even for Kyungsoo—but he sighed anyway, falling onto his back and letting the air huff out of himself. “He was quiet this morning,” he said, “when we woke up. He barely ate and just...muttered that he was going to go stream for his followers.” Kyungsoo took a moment to chew on his lip. “I thought maybe—he’s more upset than he thought he’d be, about being stuck with me. So I wanted to give him some space. And to see you.”

“Oh, bub.” Chanyeol extricated himself from Kyungsoo’s lap and crawled up the grass, plopping onto his side so he could see Kyungsoo’s face. “He was probably just tired. No way he’s upset with you or wants you to give him space. I bet he’s pouting as we speak.”

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo shook his head at the sky. “Something was just off.”

Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to stroke Kyungsoo’s hair, sighing as he watched himself do it. “Maybe you’re just feeding off of each other, being destined mates and all that. Maybe he’s a little sad, which makes you sad, then makes him more sad—“

Kyungsoo turned to stare blankly at Chanyeol until he stopped, sheepish. “Maybe you’re right,” Kyungsoo conceded. “I don’t know. Talk to me about you. I don’t want to think about the sadness for a bit. And I miss you.” He missed everyone it seemed, even Baekhyun, when it had only been maybe six hours since they had seen each other. It was hard to comprehend the way he had gone from only needing one person in his life, to needing three plus four more friends. But it wasn’t nearly as draining as he thought it’d be, in the end.

Chanyeol smiled at him, placating, or sympathetic maybe. “I’ve missed you too. I can’t believe we got boyfriends at the same time and just never see each other anymore.”

Frowning, Kyungsoo turned his gaze back to the sky. “Once Baekhyun and I get our shit together and can spend more than a day apart, we should go somewhere. Anywhere. Just us two.”

The way Chanyeol could simply radiate happiness was always contagious, and Kyungsoo was already warm with it when Chanyeol pressed his forehead to Kyungsoo’s neck, wrapping himself around him, tail wagging. “Agreed.”

They held each other like that for the next half-hour, talking about Chanyeol and the kids he taught and updates on his relationship with Yixing and their not-relationship with Minseok. Kyungsoo found himself wondering just what level of platonic soulmates they were when Chanyeol murmured things into his neck like  _ I-I love Yixing, Soo. I think we’re gonna mate. _

Even in this, he and Chanyeol were the same.

They eventually wandered back into the apartment complex so Kyungsoo could change and Chanyeol could make lunch. They were going to watch one movie together before Kyungsoo headed back to Baekhyun. He hoped that was enough space yet not too much all at once.

He hummed when his phone buzzed on his bed right as he walked in. “What…” It looked like he had approximately a million missed messages and calls, mostly from Jongdae. A surge of panic quickened his heartbeat, but before he could check anything, Jongdae’s face appeared on his screen. He was calling again. Kyungsoo immediately answered.

_ “Oh thank god,”  _ Jongdae cried out, which only heightened Kyungsoo’s panic. _ “Kyungsoo. Where have you been?” _

“I was outside in the new garden with Yeollie. I’m sorry—Dae, what’s going on?”

_ “It’s Baek—“ _

“Is he okay?”

_ “Everything’s fine, it’s just—I don’t know how this is happening—maybe it’s the stress of everything. His dad’s—” _

“Jongdae, please.” Kyungsoo could feel his chest start to quake with the pure anxiety of the unknown, the sensation reaching all the way to his fingers. He wouldn’t be able to hold his phone if Jongdae didn’t get to the point soon.

_ “His rut. It’s happening now. Early. Something triggered it early. I don’t—” _

That...was not what Kyungsoo was expecting. “Th-That can happen?”

_ “It’s rare. Extreme. It can be like an Alpha pheromones’ form of escapism. We so weren’t prepared for this. We were literally just talking about rut suppressants just in case. I—“ _

“Oh.” Realization dawned on Kyungsoo like a brick to the head. “You’re not here. None of you.” It should’ve been obvious from the start, the reason for Jongdae’s panic.

Jongdae whimpered. _ “He’s all alone. Soo. Soo, we never ever wanted to put you in a situation like this—but he was crying for you and I don’t know what to—”  _

Kyungsoo’s stomach dropped.  _ He was crying for you.  _ “I need to go to him.”

_ “Soo, Soo, wait, hold on. Seriously, we should discuss—if you don’t want to, if you’re not ready—“ _

But Kyungsoo was already yanking his overnight bag from his closet. “Don’t talk me out of it. Don’t remind me of all the bad stuff. We just talked about it. I’ve read about it. Talking to Jun—I know it might be too much, but I also know how much he’ll suffer alone—“ Kyungsoo shook his head, despite being by himself. He snatched his keys from his nightstand. “He needs me, so I’ll be there for him.”

Jongdae’s sigh of relief didn’t go undetected, and Kyungsoo felt an unwarranted swell of pride in his chest.  _ “Fuck, I love you so much.” _ Kyungsoo dropped his keys.  _ “Okay, listen, stop whatever you’re doing and listen to me.” _

Kyungsoo stared at his keys on the floor, frozen as the word repeated in his head over and over again.  _ Love. Love. Love. _

_ “—hydrated. Drink as much water as you can before you get there. Maybe stop for some fuckin’ Powerade on your way for the both of you. Make him drink it. Make him eat. Did he eat this morning? See if you can force him into the shower. Oh, and prep yourself before you go. It’ll make your life so much easier—“ _

“I feel like I should’ve been writing this down.”

Jongdae’s laugh was higher-pitched than normal. Kyungsoo supposed it was the worry.  _ “I’m sorry. I just want you to be as prepared as possible. Stress-triggered ruts can be a little more...er, primal? Feral?” _

“Oh.”

_ “Not in like, a violent way!” _ Jongdae rushed to reassure.  _ “He just might succumb to the wolf more than he normally would. Like—like he’ll probably just grunt and say ‘mine’ a lot more but he—“ _ A voice muttered something somewhere on Jongdae’s end, and the sound that escaped Jongdae’s throat was nothing but sheer panic.  _ “Fuck, I didn’t even—he’s gonna want to bite you. Don’t let him bite you, Kyungsoo. You have to tell him no.” _

Kyungsoo collapsed onto his bed, curling up as he tried to process everything Jongdae and his brain were throwing at him. “I-I can take the bite. It won’t kill me. We talked about this too.”

_ “I know,” _ Jongdae said, voice softened considerably.  _ “Babe, I know. But this is sudden. We didn’t prepare for this. We even said no bite during ruts because it would be too much. I just—I’m more worried about there not being anyone there to clean you up if it happens. If his wolf is ready to go again right after the bite, he won’t be in the right state of mind to patch you up. And if I come home to find you’ve bled out, I’ll kill him, and then who will I charm with my good looks, huh?” _

Kyungsoo breathed out a laugh, a little bit of the tension melting from him. Just a little. “Even when you’re downright panicking, you’re insufferable.” He couldn’t deny the part of him that was touched over the sentiment, however. Jongdae and Baekhyun had known and loved each other for so long. Kyungsoo knew where they all stood, he knew he loved them, and Jongdae had just said it out loud, for fuck’s sake. But still, talking about it like this was such a visceral realization that Kyungsoo really was part of this now. Part of them.

_ “Really though, Soo, I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you,” _ Jongdae quietly said.

“I’ll be okay, Jongdae, really. Baekhyun would never hurt me.”

_ “Soo…” _

“Are...Are you coming back sooner?”

_ “Yeah,” _ Jongdae breathed.  _ “As soon as Baek called, Yixing changed our flights to the earliest times they had. If there are no delays, we’ll be there sometime in the middle of the night. Like fuckin’ four A.M., I don’t know.” _

The sudden relief flooding Kyungsoo’s system was so palpable, he actually managed to sit up. But it mingled with guilt all the same. All the stress about going on vacation without Baekhyun, because of Kyungsoo, and now they had to come home early, because of Kyungsoo. Because he couldn’t handle it by himself. “Oh...That’s not so bad.” He tried to keep his voice even; it was easier to hide that residual guilt when neither of his wolves were in the room with him.

_ “You just gotta make it through tonight, babe. And then I can take over. If it is too much, you can tap out and Minseok can help.” _

“Okay...” Kyungsoo slowly nodded. “Okay. Anymore panic-induced tips for me?”

Jongdae laughed.  _ “Always.” _ Kyungsoo stood on wobbly knees and took a deep breath.  _ “Take plenty of extra clothes. Or just wear ours. Actually, he’d probably like that a lot better. Hydration. Excess lube. Oh, also, like me, he’s adapted to spending his ruts with an alpha and betas so even in rut, he really enjoys being fucked. I know you probably read a lot of mumbo-jumbo about Alphas needing to take, take, take. You’ve just gotta remind him. He’ll probably already, like you, be prepped by the time you get there. He’ll do it while he’s still coherent.” _

“Shit, I should hurry.”

_ “You’re fine, Soo. He’s only...antsy right now. He’s still got another couple of hours before it really sinks in.” _

That didn’t stop Kyungsoo from shoving everything within reach into his overnight bag, however. “I wanna see him before that. Need to.”

_ “You are,” _ Jongdae breathed,  _ “the best mate we could’ve ever hoped for.” _

_ Fuck, I love you so much. _

“Jongdae, I—”

_ “Shit, Baek’s calling. I’ll call you back, Soo. Deep breaths.” _

Kyungsoo nodded, and the call ended.

“Soo…”

Kyungsoo jumped and jerked around to find Chanyeol hovering in his doorway, wide-eyed. “I-I have to, Chanyeol.”

“I know. I know you do. I can’t stop you but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna—fucking worry about you.”

“I’ll be fine.” Kyungsoo turned back to his overnight bag, stuffing his things more firmly into it. He only stopped when Chanyeol made him, grasping his trembling hands in his.

“What can I do, Soo?” he asked. “Anything.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Kyungsoo tried to scroll through everything in his head, everything Jongdae mentioned. There was so much he needed to do in the very little time he had before Baekhyun lost himself. He  _ needed _ to see Baekhyun before that.

“Kyungsoo, hey.” Chanyeol squeezed his hands. “Deep breaths, like Jongdae said.” Kyungsoo nodded, trying to implement that. When he managed to get one good one in, Chanyeol nodded. “I’ll run to the corner store and buy your drinks and food. Will that help?”

Kyungsoo instantly sagged into Chanyeol’s chest, trusting him to catch him. “Yeah. Yeah, Yeollie, that’ll help a lot. Thank you.”

“I’ve got you, bub. Always.”

Kyungsoo was nervous to walk into Baekhyun and Jongdae’s apartment, unsure of what state he’d find Baekhyun in. But he didn’t find Baekhyun at all, not at first. He wasn’t in the living room, or the kitchen when Kyungsoo went to put up the things Chanyeol had bought for them. He didn’t come out to greet Kyungsoo with his breathtaking smile and brightness.

Kyungsoo carried his bag and two water bottles into the bedroom, and released a breath of relief when he saw Baekhyun curled up on the bed, cheek pressed into Jongdae’s pillow.

Dropping his bag and leaving the waters on the nightstand, Kyungsoo didn’t say anything as he climbed onto the bed. He was still unsure, he supposed, but worry was taking over with Baekhyun’s lack of a reaction to him.

“Baek, baby…” he tried, fingers just barely grazing Baekhyun’s arm.

Baekhyun shuddered under the touch, a quiet sniffle reaching Kyungsoo’s ears. “You shouldn’t have to do this.”

“Oh...Oh, Baek…” Kyungsoo tugged until Baekhyun relented, catching a glimpse of dim, red irises, watery eyes, before Baekhyun was burrowing into his embrace, nose pressed behind Kyungsoo’s ear. “You make it sound like I’m making some giant sacrifice. Risking my life or something.”

“You  _ are _ risking your life.”

“No, I’m not, Baekhyun. You’re not going to hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t stop the frustrated way he pinched Baekhyun’s arm. “I do. Stop that. I want to be here.”

“Y-You’re nervous…” Baekhyun pressed his palm to Kyungsoo’s chest.

“Of course I am. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here.”

Baekhyun grumbled, something that sounded like, _ “Stupid, honest heart.” _

Kyungsoo chuckled. “Let’s eat something, huh? And drink some water.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Oh, right, sorry, I forgot to say that wasn’t a suggestion. Come on.”

Baekhyun’s whining lasted all the way to the kitchen, though he at least let Kyungsoo drag him there, so he wasn’t fully resisting.  Kyungsoo tried to talk to him, as they sipped their water, and as he fed Baekhyun bites of his sandwich because it was the only way he would eat, but Baekhyun wasn't very responsive. Kyungsoo wasn't sure how much of it had to do with the oncoming rut, and how much of it had to do with guilt.

Once Baekhyun had eaten his half of Kyungsoo's sandwich and drank all of his water, Kyungsoo rid the counter of their trash and went back to Baekhyun, resting his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders. "Baek, what do you need from me right now?" Baekhyun pressed his lips together, shaking his head. Kyungsoo sighed. "Baek."

"You're already doing way more than you should have to."

"Stop that — " Baekhyun's simultaneous flinch and pout stopped him.

"Don't pinch me again," he whined.

Kyungsoo huffed, shifting his hands from Baekhyun's shoulders to his face. "I'm sorry for pinching you before." Baekhyun shrugged. "But you have to let me be here for you, baby. Giving me the cold shoulder isn't going to send me running."

"Why  _ not?"  _ Good  _ lord, _ Baekhyun was whiny on rut day. Kyungsoo would have to remember that next time.

Kyungsoo, in an act of sheer desperation, poked his own bottom lip out in a pout. It was hard not to laugh at the way Baekhyun's eyes immediately widened. "You're really trying to get rid of me?"

"I—no! Nononono—” Baekhyun launched forward, throwing his arms around Kyungsoo's neck and hugging him close. "No, no, I'm so grateful you're here. My baby, my mate, my Soo—”

_ "Shh," _ Kyungsoo whispered into his ear. "It's okay. It's okay. Seriously though, I'm not going anywhere, so please just tell me if you need me to do anything before it really hits you."

Baekhyun sagged against him. “I think—I’d feel better if I could make sure you’re prepped good enough.”

“You want to start having sex now?” Kyungsoo deadpanned.

Baekhyun pulled back to look at him. This time the pout was very real, the moisture in his eyes coming back. His irises were still a dim red, like a warning. Kyungsoo wondered if they acted as an indicator for this, if the full color would bleed in once Baekhyun was fully lost in his rut. 

“It’s happening so fast,” Baekhyun whispered. “And I don’t know why. Even if we start now so I can be sure I won’t hurt you—I think it’ll hit before we’re even done.”

Kyungsoo furrowed his eyebrows, brushing the backs of his fingers along Baekhyun’s cheek. “How long does it usually take once you know it’s coming?”

“Way longer than this.”

“Have you been really stressed lately? You haven’t said anything—”

Baekhyun shrugged, eyes filling up enough for a single tear to spill over. “I don’t know. The past couple of weeks have-have been a lot, and my dad keeps pestering me about going home again but I didn’t think—this has never happened to me before. I don’t—”

“Oh, Baek...” Kyungsoo didn’t even know Baekhyun had been talking to his father, and he suddenly felt bad for having not asked. “It’s okay. I’m here, yeah? I’ve got you.” Baekhyun nodded, pressing his lips together this time like he was trying to withhold sobs. “We’ll figure this out just like everything else, Baekhyun. I’ve got you, come on.”

He ushered Baekhyun back toward the bedroom, grabbing more water from the fridge as an afterthought before following him. Kyungsoo figured the best thing to do right now was get back in bed, and take things slow until they couldn’t, let things happen.

Without a word, Baekhyun started stripping from his clothes once the door was shut behind them and Kyungsoo sighed. It was probably for the best. Less to worry about once things escalated. So he set their water down and followed Baekhyun’s lead, and together they climbed under the covers, lying in the middle on their sides, facing each other. Baekhyun tugged the sheets up to his chin, holding them there, blinking slowly. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if Baekhyun’s eyes were actually redder now, or if he was imagining it.

“Hey…” Kyungsoo murmured, brushing hair from Baekhyun’s eyes. “You still with me?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Getting hazy, though. Do y’know what to expect?”

“I think so…”

“‘S not like I completely wolf-out or anything. But I get quieter. Lotta red eyes and teeth.”

“I know, baby. It’s okay.”

Baekhyun nodded again, chewing on his lip. “Can I...Can I please make sure you’re prepped enough?”

“Of course, Baekhyun. C’mere.”

Kyungsoo tugged the covers from Baekhyun’s hands and drew him into a gentle kiss. Just a chaste press of lips to start them off, soft, just like the way Kyungsoo slowly hiked his thigh around Baekhyun’s hip once Baekhyun had the lube in hand.

He sighed when Baekhyun pressed two fingers into him, hiking his leg higher like it would give him more access. When Baekhyun realized he could easily slip a third in as well, they surged together, lips lethargically pushing and pulling, punctuated with pleased and hungry sighs.

The buzz of their touching skin was back, Kyungsoo realized, though it had never really left. But it was strong now, like the night they’d met, a palpable feeling that seemed to urge them on.

Kyungsoo was unashamedly moaning by the time Baekhyun was four fingers deep and pressing in his thumb as well. His own hand had left Baekhyun’s hair to stroke his cock in tandem.

_ “Sh, sh, sh,” _ Baekhyun whispered. Kyungsoo opened his eyes to find himself almost blinded by the brightness of his red eyes. “Not yet, my mate.”

His voice was layered with something else, not quite a growl, but something deeper. Kyungsoo blinked a few times, realizing he’d never actually heard Baekhyun use his Alpha voice before. He only noticed he’d stopped stroking his own cock when Baekhyun grinned, toothy, pleased, fangs just barely poking out.

Huh.

“It’s time then, I guess,” Kyungsoo murmured.

Baekhyun answered with a simple, “Almost,” before slowly removing his fingers from Kyungsoo and rolling until Kyungsoo was pinned enticingly to the mattress, fingers flexing above his trapped wrists. “Can I have you, my little human?”

Kyungsoo swallowed. “Always.”

Baekhyun’s grin was visible until it wasn’t, consuming Kyungsoo’s mouth in a wet, needy kiss. Kyungsoo could feel everything all at once, Baekhyun’s claws growing and then retracting, fingers tightening and loosening, sharp teeth poking at his lips, tongue licking behind his teeth, stomachs sliding together, cocks grazing. He could see the red glow behind his eyelids. 

Kyungsoo shivered when those sharp teeth scraped against his neck, gasped when Baekhyun sucked. He didn’t even notice one of his wrists were free until fingers flicked and pinched at his nipple. Combined with just the right spot on his neck and just the right angle of their cocks, it made Kyungsoo’s back arch, a broken moan falling from his lips. That seemed to please Baekhyun greatly.

So he made a habit of it, of making Kyungsoo  _ feel _ with all of these maddening touches, marking him up until Kyungsoo was sure he wouldn’t be able to go out in public for at least three days. He looked down and saw the trail of reddening patches all the way down his belly, leading right to the sight of Baekhyun using the flat of his tongue to lick all the way up Kyungsoo’s cock.

“Oh fuck—“

“Aren’t they pretty?” Baekhyun murmured, fingers tracing the line the hickies created. Kyungsoo wondered if this entire thing was going to make him suffer whiplash, but he nodded. “Mine,” Baekhyun added, using his tongue instead of his fingers. “No one will mistake that now.”

Things moved quickly from there, in a blur. Kyungsoo didn’t have time to be surprised that Baekhyun was drizzling lube on Kyungsoo’s cock first, because then Baekhyun was sinking down onto it. It was familiar and different all at once, because he and Baekhyun had been in this position many times—in fact, it was Baekhyun’s favorite—but Baekhyun didn’t fall down to his mouth and roll his hips needily. He planted his hands on Kyungsoo’s chest and bounced, setting a fast pace that was going to end up getting Kyungsoo off first, if they weren’t careful. 

Blunt nails scratched at his chest, stinging, and it was hard to keep up with breathing when the quick, tight, easy slide of Baekhyun over his cock was so distracting, addicting. Who needed breathing when they had this?

After a while, when Kyungsoo was starting to sweat from straining to hold on, Baekhyun sat up straighter, pistoned himself on Kyungsoo’s cock, and shouted.  _ “There,” _ he moaned, growled under his breath. 

Kyungsoo was doomed if he came first, so he slapped his hand around the bed for the lube bottle, squeezed way too much in his hand, and wrapped it around Baekhyun’s cock. The pace Kyungsoo set was brutal, faster than Baekhyun’s hips, faster than either of them liked to be stroked on a normal day, but it was the right move. Kyungsoo watched as Baekhyun lost it, head falling back, his eyes so red Kyungsoo swore the glow reached the ceiling. His teeth elongated in his mouth, pushing against his lips as he moaned unbidden while come dribbled all over Kyungsoo’s hand. Kyungsoo gulped when Baekhyun’s cock didn’t soften at all.

When Baekhyun started rocking, Kyungsoo used his other hand to stop him, grasping his hip. He shook his head when Baekhyun peered at him, wild and curious. “Fuck me,” Kyungsoo said.

Baekhyun’s answering smile was nothing if not feral.

It didn’t take long for him to make the switch, to sit up off of Kyungsoo’s cock and ease backward, sinking into Kyungsoo almost too easily with the help of Kyungsoo’s excess lube and Baekhyun’s come. Before Kyungsoo could even verbally react, his come and lube-coated fingers were in Baekhyun’s mouth, teeth scraping and tongue lapping all of it up as he started up aborted thrusts.

“Jesus fucking christ,” Kyungsoo wheezed, because it was hot, sure, but even that felt good, Baekhyun’s tongue on his fingers.

Baekhyun dropped his hand and lunged forward, burying his face in Kyungsoo’s neck and fucking him faster, harder. Kyungsoo lost control of the sounds he made, those mingling with slapping skin and Baekhyun’s soft growls of pleasure. His mouth latched onto Kyungsoo’s skin eventually, sucking a never-ending bruise into it that Kyungsoo wasn’t sure would ever go away. He was okay with that.

He dug his nails into Baekhyun’s ass when he started hitting Kyungsoo’s prostate, over and over and over. Kyungsoo was shouting, crying maybe, but he still managed to slap Baekhyun’s hand away when Baekhyun whimpered and tried to help stroke him off. Kyungsoo wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t come just like this anyway, but he would still  _ try  _ to hold off. Jongdae had said on the drive over the longer Kyungsoo could hold off, the better for himself in the long run. He just didn’t expect it to be so  _ hard.  _

Baekhyun came with a cry a short moment later, hips stuttering of their own accord. Kyungsoo shuddered when he felt the come fill him up.

“Jus’ one more,” Baekhyun whispered. “And then a break.” Kyungsoo nodded, a bit surprised actually. Three orgasms in a short period of time was a lot, but he also expected this to drag out for hours at a time. He started to wonder just how long the break would be when Baekhyun’s hips started moving again, punching a gasp from Kyungsoo’s lungs. “Let me make you...feel good...this time,” Baekhyun muttered, clearly losing himself again.

“Yeah, okay,” Kyungsoo said, because really, he’d have to be a much stronger man to hold off any longer.

It didn’t take long, turning from relatively gentle to frantic once Baekhyun heard enough of Kyungsoo’s moans. He licked stripes up Kyungsoo’s neck with each sharp snap of hips, unraveling him into a puddle of goo. 

Kyungsoo’s pretty sure they came at the same time, which, he didn’t want to know how they managed that, but it was one of the best orgasms of his life, so he also didn’t care.

His eyes were closed, but he only knew because he was surprised to be kissed by a completely human mouth, blunt teeth tugging at his lip so tongue could have access. Kyungsoo hummed, brushing some of Baekhyun’s sweaty hair from his forehead. Baekhyun was soft inside him now, but he didn’t show signs of moving, giving one last good lick inside Kyungsoo’s mouth before burying his face in his neck, inhaling deeply.

“You good, Baek?”

“Should be asking you that,” Baekhyun muttered.

Kyungsoo glided his hand down Baekhyun’s back, rubbing up and down. “I’m fine, I promise.”

Baekhyun nodded. “You’ll tell me to stop, right? If anything is too much?”

“Of course I will, baby. But it hasn’t even been bad so far.”

A quiet whine pressed against his skin. “First round is always easiest. Short break. Second round is longest of day one, but still not too...feral. Then we can nap.”

“And eat.”

“Meh.”

“Baekhyun.”

He sighed. “Okay. Third round’ll be the knot. After a few goes. We’ll be lucky if I have any clarity then.”

Kyungsoo took a moment to process. He didn’t realize there was a pattern to ruts, but he supposed it helped to know what to expect for the next few hours at least. And to mentally prepare for the knot. “Okay. How long do you have now?”

“Maybe five minutes. At the most.”

Kyungsoo hummed, stroking one of his wolf ears. “Will you drink some water for me?”

“Don’t wanna move.”

“For me? Baby? Please?”

Baekhyun whined. “You’re mean.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh. “If that’s what it takes to keep us hydrated, I guess.”

With a long, dramatic sigh, Baekhyun relented, sitting up enough to not pull his cock out of Kyungsoo, but to drink the bottle of water he was handed in its entirety. His eyes were still so, so red, despite everything else seeming normal. Then, he lovingly helped Kyungsoo sit up enough to drink his own. After, Baekhyun tossed the bottle aside and pressed a sweet kiss to his mouth. “I hope…” he murmured. “I hope you know how much I care about you.”

Kyungsoo smiled, nodded, thumbs caressing Baekhyun’s cheeks. “Of course I do, Baekhyunnie. You know how much I do, right?”

A pleased kiss met him first, and then a gentle smile. “I do. My Soo.”

It was maybe another minute of sweet kisses and peaceful silence before Kyungsoo could feel Baekhyun getting hard again, followed shortly by Baekhyun hesitating to kiss him so thoroughly because his fangs were growing back. Baekhyun sighed. “Sorry, my mate. Time again.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo said. “It’s okay, Baek. Come on.”

Getting Baekhyun’s next release out of the way was simple, but Kyungsoo’s ass  _ was _ a little tired of being fucked already, so he was quick, despite Baekhyun’s unwillingness to speak much, to suggest changing it up. He didn’t give Baekhyun an option, really, scooting from the bed and onto the floor before he could be stopped.

Kyungsoo was just relieved to get out of the position he'd been in since they began, readily settling onto the floor on his knees, the bedskirt tickling his feet and making his toes curl. His jaw slacked in reflex when Baekhyun stepped in front of him, catching on quick, cock perfectly level with his face. They hadn't done this much in their relationship, which part of Kyungsoo felt was odd, but he also thought they just liked to be face to face too much. Well, that or the threat of fangs made the act of blowing one another more precarious than sexy.

Kyungsoo wanted it now, though. After all, he was the one without needle sharp fangs.

"Distracted," Baekhyun muttered in that low, growly tone, finger tapping under his chin until he looked up, directly into the red. "Okay?"

Kyungsoo nodded. "Sorry. Was just thinking we don't do this a lot. Doesn't matter." He gingerly wrapped his fingers around the base of Baekhyun's cock. "Come on."

Baekhyun scrutinized him for another short moment before nodding and moving his own hand out of the way, pressing forward between Kyungsoo's parting lips. He was heavy on his tongue, heavier than Kyungsoo remembered it feeling last time. He flinched at the bitter taste before embracing it, encouraging Baekhyun a little deeper before bobbing to get it nice and slick. Baekhyun moaned, and his fingers curled into Kyungsoo's hair just shy of harshly. Kyungsoo quietly groaned into the tugging, trying to remember the most clever ways to use his tongue, curling, lapping, pressing.

By the time Kyungsoo could taste the leaking precome, Baekhyun's thighs were trembling and Kyungsoo pulled off with a pop, watching his wolf curiously. He'd been unbelievably calm so far, so much so that Kyungsoo wondered if the trembling was because of strain and not pleasure.

Kyungsoo licked his lips, cleared his throat. He dodged Baekhyun's cock when he tried to shove it back into his mouth. "You can fuck my mouth, Baekhyun." The sound Baekhyun made in response was so frustrated it only confirmed what Kyungsoo wondered. "I can handle a little deep-throating." Mid-rut, Alpha Baekhyun just didn't need to know he only knew that because Chanyeol was particularly fond of it.

Baekhyun took a long, deep breath. "Signal?" he finally asked.

Kyungsoo cocked his head before clicking. "Oh. I'll tap you. Like this." He tapped Baekhyun on the hip. "That work?"

Baekhyun nodded, and without warning gripped Kyungsoo's hair to yank his head back, forcing his mouth open with the angle and using that to slide his cock back in. Kyungsoo groaned around it, this time just to let Baekhyun feel the vibrations. It was the kick start Baekhyun needed, clearly, sliding deep, deeper, slow and steady until Kyungsoo was forcing his throat to relax and taking him in. Fuck, he hadn't done this in a while, but  _ fuck, _ there was always something sadistically thrilling about it all the same.

Baekhyun, again, showed remarkable restraint at first, his thrusts slow and careful, but once he was sure Kyungsoo was okay, he grew more confident, setting a more frequent pace, obliterating Kyungsoo's throat in the best way.

It was mind-numbing, almost, to sit there and let his mouth be used, only getting the shortest of breaks to gasp a breath in, but still, somehow, Kyungsoo had the presence of mind to grab the lube bottle he'd brought to the floor with him, blindly drip it over his fingers, and slip his hand between Baekhyun's thighs, prodding until they sunk into him.

He snarled, and Kyungsoo with his mouth suddenly empty almost thought he’d misstepped, but it was followed directly by a moan so long it almost could’ve been mistaken for a howl. Kyungsoo immediately pressed in more firmly before slipping a third finger in, too. He opened his mouth, tongue out, silently begging for Baekhyun's cock, and Baekhyun moaned again, nodding and messily guiding his cock back in.

Kyungsoo only got one more break for breath before his fingers found Baekhyun's prostate, and Baekhyun's orgasm was almost instantaneous. Kyungsoo's eyelashes fluttered, fingers going limp inside Baekhyun when he pressed his cock all the way in and held it there as he came, Kyungsoo swallowing around him on reflex and doing his best not to choke on his come.

When Baekhyun held still for a moment too long, Kyungsoo had to tap out, coughing as soon as his mouth was free. Baekhyun was there, in his own Alpha way, holding Kyungsoo's face and licking the come dripping from his lips. Kyungsoo weakly laughed. He patted one of Baekhyun's hands and nodded. "I'm okay. Was that good?"

Baekhyun hummed his affirmation and was suddenly on his feet and hoisting Kyungsoo up by his arms, spinning him around and urging him onto the bed. Which was all good and fine, except it was too soon for Kyungsoo's knees and he stumbled, faceplanting onto the bed, feet still on the ground. He groaned. Hopefully Baekhyun wouldn't remember this later and tease him for it.

_ "Oh," _ Baekhyun breathed somewhere behind him, and when he tried to push himself up, a hand on his back stopped him. Kyungsoo peeked over his shoulder, but Baekhyun wasn't behind him anymore--no, yes he was, flicking ears barely visible above--

Kyungsoo melted into the bed with a groan when a warm tongue ran up the inside of his thigh.  _ Yeah, _ Kyungsoo thought, or maybe said,  _ please clean me up. _ Perhaps it wasn't particularly sexy, letting Baekhyun lap endlessly at the come dripping all over his thighs, but Baekhyun seemed to be really into it, and it felt nearly as good as an orgasm when Kyungsoo was as tired as he was. In fact, he probably could've fallen asleep if Baekhyun hadn't stopped to crawl up his back and gently push his cock inside him just like that.

_ "Yes," _ Kyungsoo found himself moaning, the relief of being so pinned he didn't have to move only adding to his sudden pleasure. He wouldn't be able to hold off his orgasm with his cock trapped against the sheets, but he really didn't care suddenly, content to watch Baekhyun's fingers curl into the sheets for purchase, to feel his lips and teeth all over his shoulders, neck, and back, to be jolted with every quick, shallow thrust railing him into the mattress.

It was slow, and not all at once, Kyungsoo drifting in a dreamlike state between desperate moans of incoherence and Baekhyun's name. He was so relaxed, he didn't panic when he felt sharp teeth press against his skin with purpose, just behind his shoulder. "Baek...Baek..." he tried, but he couldn't say it, he couldn't just tell him to stop. "Baek—" he gasped, because he was biting so hard it felt like his skin would break at any second. He should tell him to stop, he shouldn't let him bite but  _ fuck, _ Kyungsoo cried with every layer of his being, he  _ needed _ Baekhyun to bite,  _ needed  _ to mate—

_ "No." _ Baekhyun's teeth were gone, and Kyungsoo exhaled the entirety of his lungs. "No."

"Baek—"

"Not yet. Jongdae said..."

Kyungsoo deflated, becoming one with the mattress again. He nodded and weakly scooted his hand on top of Baekhyun's. Baekhyun laced their fingers together and went back to the task at hand, unraveling them both into a pile of sweaty goo.

It happened quickly, an urgency to it now, like they suddenly had this pent up energy to release. He supposed they did. Kyungsoo came first, the friction of the sheets just enough to push him over the edge, but Baekhyun apparently wasn't close yet. He sharpened his thrusts, pushing up onto his hands to give himself more to work with. He fucked, and fucked, until he was nailing Kyungsoo's prostate again and making him shout, sending him straight into overstimulation.  _ "Baekhyun," _ he was chanting, over and over, and god, was he fucking getting hard again already? Forget the rut, his own cock was going to be the death of him.

Baekhyun finally came with a satisfied moan, filling Kyungsoo right back up in place of all the come he'd just cleaned. He flopped onto Kyungsoo's back, boneless and knocking the breath from him.

"My Soo," Baekhyun sighed, sounding halfway between coherent and not. "My Soo. Mine."

"Yeah. Yours."

Kyungsoo let himself be manhandled fully onto the bed, jelly limbs too weak to do it themselves. He was on his back again, and Baekhyun was reaching for his cock, but Kyungsoo stopped him. He was only half-hard, and Baekhyun probably wanted to sit on it, but Kyungsoo  _ needed a minute. _

"Lube?" he managed to ask, noticing for the first time how fucked his voice was.

Baekhyun grunted but fetched the bottle from the floor and handed it to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo blinked rapidly, finding it oddly hard to keep his eyes open all of a sudden, but he still managed to slick his hands up, directing Baekhyun to straddle his stomach, and got them around Baekhyun's cock. Baekhyun's wolf would just have to settle for the world's most thorough handjob for now.

And by thorough, he meant making Baekhyun come twice in a row without any relief in between, because that was exactly what he did. It had the desired effect, stringing Baekhyun out enough that he slowed down, whining around his second orgasm but doing nothing to stop it. "Good. Good," he grunted, unceremoniously falling to his back, head at the other end of the bed.

Kyungsoo heaved in a breath, thankful for the breather, quick though it would probably be. "Break?" he asked, too hopefully, he knew. Baekhyun had still been hard after all.

Baekhyun's noncommittal grunt said it all.

But he wasn't clawing at Kyungsoo for more right that second, so Kyungsoo waited until he was, lazily pawing at the bed to get Kyungsoo's attention. Kyungsoo swallowed around his wrecked throat, wishing he'd have just brought the entirety of their water into the bedroom because he could really use some more right now. It didn't stop him from keeping Baekhyun away from his dick and ass though, crawling over him before he could sit up and taking his cock in his mouth again.

Baekhyun's answering, gentle moan made it worth it, the pleasure rolling off of him in waves. It renewed Kyungsoo, allowing him to press on with vigor, bobbing his head up and down so fast he was going to make himself dizzy. Baekhyun had both of his hands tangled in Kyungsoo's hair, leaving him to his own devices until he was close. That's when he held Kyungsoo's head still and fucked up into his mouth and throat, only needing a couple before his come was flooding Kyungsoo's mouth, spilling out before he could swallow it all.

Baekhyun dragged him up into a messy kiss, because of course he did, but at least Kyungsoo didn't have to swallow everything himself. Silver-linings, and all that.

He was actually achingly hard again now though, so he figured he'd give Baekhyun what he really wanted finally, lubing himself up and sinking right into Baekhyun. Baekhyun keened, clawing at Kyungsoo's back, gnawing at his neck as Kyungsoo picked up a brutal pace.  _ "Mine...mine...mine," _ Baekhyun chanted to the beat of Kyungsoo's thrusts. It was hotter than it had any right to be.

The second round lasted for hours, in all, and Kyungsoo had no idea how he made it, how he kept up, lasted, didn't pass out. But finally, with the clock approaching midnight, Baekhyun's fangs retracted, and even his eyes dimmed, a little bit of  _ Baekhyun _ returning to him.

"Baby," he whispered, brushing sweat-soaked hair from Kyungsoo's forehead. "Oh, baby, you're exhausted."

"Yeah," Kyungsoo sighed. "But it's okay. I'm okay. How do you feel?" Oh, his poor voice. It was nearly nonexistent.

Baekhyun hummed, nose prodding behind his ear. "Satisfied. Tired. Hungry."

"Good. We should eat and drink something."

"A lot of somethings."

"Mm-hm."

The lack of immediate urgency brought reality crashing back down, though, and Kyungsoo realized just how disgusting the sheets were, how disgusting they were. It felt more pressing than their growling stomachs, and he practically begged Baekhyun for a shower. "I'll change the sheets after," he was saying as they crawled out of bed, only to eat his words, knees giving out the second he stood up.  _ "Fuck," _ he whined, even though Baekhyun was there to catch him.

"I've got you, I've got you."

It wasn't much of a shower, with Baekhyun having to hold him up, but it at least melted the salt and come away, enough so that Kyungsoo felt like a brand new man by the time they were dry and waddling to the kitchen. Kyungsoo wanted to make the argument that he was supposed to be taking care of Baekhyun, not the other way around, but he could see the Alpha-determination as Baekhyun dragged about six sandwiches and six bottles of water and Gatorade from the fridge to the living room floor where they sprawled. Baekhyun sat facing him, in full-on doting mode as he insisted on feeding Kyungsoo and petting his hair through two entire sandwiches. Then he left Kyungsoo to his own devices for the third one, which made him curious but not enough to follow him out of the room. Not that he could, probably. He was convinced his legs had melted permanently into jelly.

Baekhyun wandered back into the room when Kyungsoo was done and sipping on his sports drink. He blinked lethargically up at his wolf, disbelieving of how handsome he was even now. Baekhyun smiled at him, soft, like he knew exactly what Kyungsoo was thinking.

"Come nap," Baekhyun murmured, walking over to him. He hoisted Kyungsoo up but didn't stop there, knocking his feet out from under him and carrying him toward the bedroom. Kyungsoo grunted in half-hearted protest, but otherwise sagged into him. "You need as much rest as possible," Baekhyun said. "Next time won't be as long but it'll be more for your body."

"I know," Kyungsoo whispered. "I'll be okay."

"I'll believe you when we're on the other side of it."

They reached the bedroom and Kyungsoo saw four water bottles on the nightstand and clean sheets. He sighed. Such a good wolf. But he tapped Baekhyun's cheek. "Hey." Baekhyun paused at the edge of the bed. "You're not going to hurt me, Baek."

Baekhyun sighed, dropping his forehead to press it against Kyungsoo's. "I know that, I think, but it's so hard not to worry. Especially seeing how tired you are when we haven't gotten to the hard part yet."

Kyungsoo tilted his head up to kiss him. "There's a big difference in me being tired, and me being physically injured, love."

Baekhyun's shaky breath hit his lips, so Kyungsoo kissed him again, unsure of how else to convince him. Eventually, Baekhyun nodded and eased Kyungsoo into the bed, then crawled in after, curling around him. He peppered kisses along the back of Kyungsoo's neck.

"I know you're here willingly, and that you're okay, but I'm still sorry you had to do this. Alone."

Kyungsoo shook his head, lacing his fingers with Baekhyun's against his chest. "Did you really think I would leave you alone when you need me?"

"No, I just...you're so good, Kyungsoo. I don't know how I got so lucky. To have you as a soulmate."

"I'm the lucky one," Kyungsoo whispered.

Baekhyun shook his head, holding his lips against the crook of Kyungsoo's neck. "I may not be all here when you wake up again," he murmured. "So just...let me say thank you and...apologize in advance, just in case."

Kyungsoo sighed, but he nodded. "Apology accepted, always, just so you know." He craned his neck to seek out a kiss on the lips, and Baekhyun propped himself up to oblige.

"Thank you," he said, reaching behind him to turn the lamp off. "Now, sleep, my darling."

Kyungsoo hardly remembered his head hitting the pillow again.

He thought he was going to vibrate right out of his skin.

The buzzing had never been so prominent in the months he'd known Baekhyun, and it was only sated where hot, needy kisses were dampening his neck, where Baekhyun was pressing against his side, hard cock rutting at his waist. "Baekhyun — " Kyungsoo breathed, rolling into him, finding his mouth and kissing fangs. The room was still drenched in darkness, but Kyungsoo needed, Kyungsoo needed every inch of their skin touching.

"Yes," Baekhyun answered like a prayer, red eyes glowing brighter, penetrating Kyungsoo's eyelids. Slick fingers found Kyungsoo's hole, sliding in, maybe three, then four. Kyungsoo had his hand around Baekhyun's cock, stroking it, though he didn't remember putting it there.

Kyungsoo was frenzied, out of his goddamn mind with how much he needed Baekhyun. "Please," he cried, falling onto his back, forcing Baekhyun's fingers out of him. Baekhyun flicked on the lamp so quickly he almost knocked it over. "I need you."

Baekhyun didn't need to be told twice, all but slamming into him in one scarily fluid motion, covering Kyungsoo's body with his own and fucking him hard and frantic.

_ Yes, _ Kyungsoo thought, feeling the buzz lessen along most of his body.  _ Relief. _

Baekhyun wasn't the only one under a haze, Kyungsoo falling under one too by Baekhyun's third orgasm inside him in a row before Kyungsoo's first. He didn't think, just gave, took, needed. Nothing seemed to be enough to make the buzzing stop, and it only got worse when Baekhyun rolled them over and made Kyungsoo ride him so Baekhyun could add fingers, stretch him. Prepare him. Kyungsoo might have come untouched, but that was a  _ problem, _ being untouched. No relief.

Baekhyun stretched and fucked him until he was hard again, and then they switched, Kyungsoo pressing Baekhyun's shoulders into the mattress and snapping his hips as fast as he could, Baekhyun's eyes the only thing Kyungsoo could see. Kyungsoo couldn't keep it up though, the buzzing too loud. He fell into Baekhyun, letting him help, whining against his neck while Baekhyun's fingers gripped his ass, slipping in the ocean of come, making him grip harder.

Kyungsoo didn't know the last time either of them had spoke, or how much time had actually passed since he awakened, but he couldn't help but feel like they were on the same wavelength somehow. In fact, it was all he could feel. They didn't need words to convey what they needed, they  _ knew. _ They needed the same things. They were one.

Kyungsoo came, and they switched again, Baekhyun pounding into him for one orgasm, fucking his mouth for another. Rinse, repeat.

Kyungsoo was a puddle, a vibrating puddle, weakly clawing at Baekhyun's scalp, sucking at the skin of Baekhyun's shoulder, salt bursting on his tongue as he heaved for breath through his nose.

After countless orgasms of Baekhyun's, he halted, pressing as firmly into Kyungsoo as he could, holding there. It was time, then. Kyungsoo just knew.

Baekhyun whined and moaned under his breath, face smashed against Kyungsoo's neck. Kyungsoo could feel it, the swelling of Baekhyun’s cock, but it wasn’t enough to catch quite yet. Baekhyun’s breath huffed hot and damp against his neck as he panted, continuing to hold still as it grew.

Just as it started reaching an uncomfortable level of big, Baekhyun’s mouth found his, a surprisingly sweet kiss, a pleasant distraction. Kyungsoo’s eyes fluttered open when they parted to find a shred of coherency in Baekhyun’s expression, and felt it within himself as well.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo murmured, brushing sweaty bangs back from Baekhyun’s forehead. “There you are.”

Baekhyun nodded, breath hitching when an experimental thrust was stopped short by his knot finally catching. The sudden pressure made it hard for Kyungsoo to breathe, neck straining with the intensity of the pain and pleasure cocktail. Baekhyun whimpered at the sight, pressing one, two kisses to Kyungsoo’s swollen bottom lip, wrapping a nimble hand around Kyungsoo’s cock to tip the scale in favor of pleasure. Air rushed into Kyungsoo’s lungs as he was able to breathe again.

“Soo, please…”

Kyungsoo blinked up at Baekhyun’s blurry face. “What can I do?”

“I just need to say something...before the haze is back…”

“What is it, love?”

“That,” Baekhyun cried, hips twitching with an aborted thrust. “That.” He let go of Kyungsoo’s cock in favor of surging forward for a deeper kiss than the ones before, tongue just barely nudging at Kyungsoo’s lips. “I love you, Kyungsoo. I love you.”

A wave of the wildest affection crashed over Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun shuddered in time with it like he could feel it too. Kyungsoo nodded, dragging Baekhyun by the hair into a sloppy kiss. “Fuck, I love you, too, Baek.”

Baekhyun sobbed, a happy sound for what it was. He cupped Kyungsoo’s cheek as he stole kiss after kiss, their mouths getting wetter, clumsier, hungrier.

“Mine,” Baekhyun was muttering under his breath, a low growl rising in his throat. His hips were getting less timid, shallowly thrusting and making Kyungsoo  _ scream. _ “My human,” Baekhyun rasped. “My mate. My love.” Kyungsoo’s nails clawed at Baekhyun’s scalp again when the latter’s knot pressed firmly into his prostate.

_ “Baekhyun!” _ he shouted. “Baekhyunbaekhyunbaekhyun—“

“Can’t break my human—“

“You’re not!” Kyungsoo simultaneously tried to push away and scramble closer. He was so fucking full, and the very, very thin thread of logic left within him knew it was uncomfortable, yet he had never been more desperate to come in his life. “I want it. Please, don't stop, please."

"Dangerous...words..." Baekhyun grunted out.

"No," Kyungsoo sobbed. "I want it. Want you. Need — you.  _ Fuck _ _ — _ _ Baekhyun!" _ Pleasure pricked at the buzz, building it up, up, but it wasn't just toward another fucking, goddamn orgasm. "Baekhyun, please — I  _ need _ you." He gasped at a particularly delicious hit, tugging frantically at his cock, chasing release like his life suddenly depended on it.  _ "Alpha." _

The downright roar that ripped from Baekhyun’s chest was half-intimidating, half-gratifying, and Kyungsoo practically cheered him on when he hiked one of Kyungsoo’s legs up. He used the new leverage to deliver more pointed thrusts that made Kyungsoo scream so uncontrollably, his voice gave out in the middle of shrieking  _ Alpha _ for the tenth time, because he could feel how much Baekhyun's wolf loved it.

The sudden lack of voice didn’t deter his hand, or Baekhyun’s hips. They worked together to bring each other to the finish, until Baekhyun was gritting his teeth and groaning behind them. "Need to...need to...mate. Fuck."

"It's okay," Kyungsoo croaked, the words barely sounding human. Words wouldn't work. He tried to exude it, make Baekhyun feel that there was no stopping it, no point. Baekhyun pulled back to stare into his eyes, clearly on the same page. His cheeks were so flushed they looked sunburned, beautiful, and Kyungsoo nodded, dragging Baekhyun's face straight to his shoulder.

It was only a few more thrusts before Kyungsoo was coming hard enough to black out.

When he finally rejoined the living, vision dotted at the edges, it was to his shoulder engulfed in fire.

His immediate, reflexive scream of pain was broken, mostly voiceless, and the intoxicating feeling of Baekhyun’s throbbing cock pumping endless, hot come into him was overshadowed completely by the set of supernaturally enhanced fangs sunken into his shoulder. He blindly grasped at Baekhyun’s hair, vision foggy, knowing better than to try pulling Baekhyun away, but needing the purchase all the same. His toes curled into the mattress, his breath left him all at once. He couldn’t even scream when Baekhyun’s teeth sank a little deeper, but found he didn’t really want to. The fire was slowly being replaced by a suspicious, tingly feeling, and somehow, he parsed through his brain to remember that mating bites like this released a venom,  _ anti venom, _ a healing agent for the bitten. The memory calmed him considerably. He was already through the worst of it. He was going to be just fine.

Red swam in front of his gaze, not eyes, no. Blood. Two nicks on Baekhyun's shoulder oozing blood inches away from Kyungsoo's mouth.

He latched onto it and drank.

Relief flooded his system, and not his own.  _ Baekhyun's. _ They weren't moving anymore, locked in an embrace meant for the most sacred of lovers, and they were. It filled Kyungsoo to the brim with a certainty he didn't know existed. He had never been more entwined with a person physically, mentally, spiritually. The buzzing of his skin grew, and they both drank deeper, moaning now into each other's wounds as their mutual pleasure grew.

It wasn't an orgasm in a traditional sense; it was something that happened between them, around them, to every inch of them, simultaneously. Or were they actually one being, which meant it wasn't happening at the same time, it was just  _ happening? _ Regardless, the buzzing crescendoed until it felt like their skin was bursting, drowning them in a cloud of pleasure and unity. They were gasping, mouths free, dripping, and then that blood was exchanged with their lips, perfect, sucking kisses that spoke to their newfound connection, how well they really knew each other now.

The buzzing was gone. Sated.

Baekhyun carefully licked Kyungsoo's wound before kissing him again. He nuzzled into Kyungsoo’s neck, inhaling. "Mate," he whispered, the word tickling Kyungsoo's skin but resonating so, so deeply.

He relaxed into the pillows as his vision blackened around the edges, and something soft pressed against his bleeding shoulder. His bleary eyes blinked open in surprise, taking in the glistening tears on Jongdae’s cheeks, standing over the bed and holding a towel firmly against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he cried, as Baekhyun remained unaware. “I couldn’t risk startling him—I heard you—god, I heard you scream from the street and I ran—“

Kyungsoo sluggishly slid his hand on top of Jongdae’s. “Dae, I’m okay. Please don’t. I’m okay.”

Rubbing his cheek against his shirt sleeve, Jongdae sniffled. “You’re woozy from blood loss.”

“Yeah. Think so. But I’m also okay. I wan—“

“Mate?” Baekhyun suddenly picked his head up, alert gaze on their boyfriend, and then the haze broke. “J-Jongdae? When did you—why are you cr—“ Baekhyun blinked once, twice, thrice, more present each time. His eyes dropped to Jongdae's hand staunching the blood on Kyungsoo's shoulder. Kyungsoo could feel his confusion, the worry for Jongdae seeping through as Baekhyun tried to catch up. He gingerly placed his hand over theirs. "Kyungsoo is okay..." he said uncertainly, like he wasn't quite sure himself. He looked at Jongdae. "I can feel...in me...that he's okay." Kyungsoo nodded. Just like he could feel Baekhyun was okay, that Baekhyun was happy beneath the uncertainty, an undercurrent to his own emotions and well-being.

It took a moment, and a few more spilled tears, but Jongdae nodded, glancing between them both. "You're mates now," he said, voice weak, cracking.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo looked at each other with matching fond smiles, and Baekhyun nodded, leaning down for a kiss. Then he propped himself up and grabbed Jongdae by the collar, yanking him into a kiss as well. Kyungsoo winced, Baekhyun's knot nothing but uncomfortable now, but he quickly forgot when he heard Baekhyun murmur into Jongdae's mouth, "That doesn't mean you're not my mate. That doesn't mean Kyungsoo isn't yours. Vice-versa. I love you. I love you both, so much."

Jongdae nodded as he spoke, then knocked their foreheads together. "I know. Me too. Me too."

Kyungsoo was fading again, but he reciprocated when lips pressed against his. Jongdae's. "Sorry for...worrying you..." Kyungsoo tried to say. "'M okay...really."

A gentle voice interrupted them from closeby. "I should really get him patched up, guys." Yixing. "And he needs water and food with sugar before he fully passes out. Baek, you drank so much from him--"

"I couldn't stop until the bond settled — "

"Guys." That was Minseok. Kyungsoo couldn't see any of them, otherwise he might be embarrassed they were all there while he was in such a compromising position. "Priorities. He's fading fast."

So fast, in fact, that Kyungsoo was already a goner.


	13. Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo learns what being mated feels like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 3.1k

The first thing Kyungsoo realized the next time he woke, was that the only thing that didn’t hurt was blinking. He was groggy and in pain, but his entire right side radiated calm where Baekhyun was curled against him. Judging by the extra hand on Kyungsoo’s stomach, Jongdae was wrapped around Baekhyun as well.

Kyungsoo, at least, felt clean, the  _ bed _ felt clean, and despite his thoughts being all over the place because he was avoiding the important stuff, the second Baekhyun sleepily propped himself up and looked down at him, Kyungsoo weakly reached his hand up to bring Baekhyun down for a kiss.

Baekhyun grinned into it, obliging him thoroughly while Jongdae grabbed onto his hand on Baekhyun’s neck, steadying it. Surprisingly, he felt Baekhyun push a wave of calm toward him that settled right into his bones, making him relax into the bed. So that was a thing, then. For now, at least. Baekhyun followed him, deepening their kiss with his tongue for just a moment before trailing his lips down to Kyungsoo’s neck. His fingers fiddled with the edge of the gauze Kyungsoo could feel covering his shoulder. He wanted to say something, anything, but he didn’t have to try to know he had no voice. Even his breaths rattled in his throat.

“Yixing’s almost back from checking on a patient,” Baekhyun murmured, soft expression falling into something uncomfortable. “He’ll be able to help you with the pain.” Kyungsoo could only nod. Of course Baekhyun would know, now, the extreme levels of pain he was in. He only wondered if Baekhyun’s change in expression was because he could  _ feel _ the pain as his own.

He pressed his cheek against Baekhyun’s temple and met Jongdae’s eyes, who was propping himself up, hand moving to Kyungsoo’s face. “How are you feeling, Soo?” 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat, which only proved him right, the movement stirring up so much pain it felt like his throat was being stabbed. “Okay,” he whispered, wincing. Baekhyun’s fingers glanced against his throat. “How long…” he tried, “‘till next round?”

A moment of silence followed, confusion prodding at him from Baekhyun, Jongdae’s brows tilted inward. “Oh,” Jongdae said. “Baby, his rut is over.”

Kyungsoo tried to convey his curiosity through his face alone, and Jongdae shrugged. Baekhyun answered, “I dunno, darling. Once the bond was settled, the haze lifted completely.” Kyungsoo frowned. How was that possible? Baekhyun shook his head against his neck, the question apparently clear enough for him to feel it out. “We don’t know. Neither of us have ever had a rut so short.”

“Was best case scenario, though,” Jongdae said. “It was a lot easier with Baek’s help to get you cleaned up and change the sheets and all that after you passed out.”

Baekhyun hummed. “Yixing hooked you up to an IV for a few hours to get you hydrated.”

“How long…?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Were you out?” Jongdae finished. “About 15 hours. Pretty understandable for someone who helped an Alpha through his rut  _ and  _ took a mating bite.”

“Thought you’d be out longer,” Baekhyun muttered, shame flooding the bond. Kyungsoo shook his head, fingers sinking into Baekhyun’s hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Every inch of him was in some level of pain, no need to keep pushing the pain in his throat. 

Jongdae sighed, easing himself off the bed. “I’ll get you some water, okay? Yixing should be back any minute.”

“You don’t have to speak,” Baekhyun whispered, “to let me know what you wanna say. The extreme connection will fade in a few days, but right now it’s like...we’re one person.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He remembered that much from the actual mating process. He pushed Baekhyun back, enough to nuzzle their noses, wondering if something simple would work, like  _ I love you. _ Baekhyun smiled, and a warmth flooded Kyungsoo’s heart that could only be one thing.  _ I love you, too. _

Jongdae came back, but not alone. Yixing and Chanyeol were on his tail, the latter all but breaking down the second he saw Kyungsoo. He fell to his knees at the side of the bed and grasped his hand. Baekhyun giggled at Kyungsoo’s exasperated eye roll and said, “I think he wants to say,  _ it’s not like I’m dying.” _ Kyungsoo nodded, grinning at Baekhyun quickly before softening for Chanyeol, squeezing his hand. Gently, Baekhyun said, “He’s okay, Yeollie. Really. In a lot of pain, but he’s already recovering well.”

“Then why are you speaking for him?” Chanyeol sniffled, pressing his mouth against Kyungsoo’s arm.

Baekhyun reached his hand out to smooth Chanyeol’s hair down. “His throat’s fucked. He can’t use his voice yet.”

Chanyeol nodded, watery eyes back on Kyungsoo’s face. Kyungsoo sighed and separated their hands so he could open his arms and let Chanyeol rest his head on his stomach. “I’m okay,” he whispered.

“Ah, stop that,” Jongdae whined. “I don’t need a bond like you guys to be able to tell how much that hurts you.”

Yixing nodded from where he’d settled on the edge of the bed, hand rubbing Chanyeol’s back. “You shouldn’t be using your voice at all.”

Another sigh, but Kyungsoo nodded. He stroked Chanyeol’s cheek and smiled gently at him. He may not have been able to push a scarily specific feeling out for him, but he and Chanyeol shared a bond no less. Sure enough, after a couple of moments of silent reassurance, lying just like that, Chanyeol sniffled, crinkling his nose and eyeing Kyungsoo’s bare chest. He flicked his gaze at Baekhyun.

“Geez, Baek, did you mark your territory enough? I think you missed a spot.”

The room dissolved into laughter, taking some of the tension with it, and Baekhyun pinched Chanyeol’s ear in playful retaliation. Kyungsoo’s skin  _ was _ mottled with way too many hickies, enough for it to be embarrassing, but he knew he could trust these people more than anyone. Baekhyun kissed his cheek, laughter vibrating through his skin, and oh, that was a feeling Kyungsoo would be sad to lose in a few days’ time.

Yixing and Jongdae managed to coax Chanyeol from the floor and to the kitchen with Jongdae to whip up something quick to eat, and Yixing smiled at Kyungsoo sympathetically when he told him he was going to need to sit up so Yixing could check him out.

He and Baekhyun helped Kyungsoo, fluffing up pillows behind him and using their supernatural strength to do all the work of sitting him up, but it didn’t stop the pain. Kyungsoo was in tears by the time he was settled, Baekhyun frantically wiping at his eyes and trying not to jostle him further.

Yixing sighed, carefully peeling the bandage off of Kyungsoo’s bite. “You’re lucky I’m confident in my ability as a doctor,” he said. “You should be in the hospital.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. He’d read plenty of horror stories about humans who go to the hospital to have bites treated. It never ended well. He stopped Yixing’s hand for a moment and squeezed it, and Baekhyun softly said, “He trusts you. We both do.”

Yixing only sighed again, turning back to his kit to grab cotton swabs and saline to start cleaning. “Thank you. That doesn’t make me worry any less about the state of you, though, you know.”

“Xing, you know a bulk of the soreness is dehydration,” Baekhyun said. “He’s okay. You’ve done so well. I’m just sorry that you’re having to do it in the first place.”

“I’m...not upset with you guys, Baekhyunnie. Just worried about you, that’s all.” He shook his head before Baekhyun could say anything else, turning his full attention back to Kyungsoo’s tender shoulder. “The punctures are finally sealed back up,” he muttered. “Between Baek’s saliva and my healing, thankfully the process has sped up.” Kyungsoo flinched when he started cleaning it. It certainly still stung. “I was worried you would need stitches.” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure Yixing was actually talking to them anymore. “You don’t realize how...gaping the punctures from our teeth are until you see it fresh on a human.”

He took his time cleaning the bite, and then spent several minutes pressing his hands against various parts of Kyungsoo, trying to speed up the healing there too. He spent the longest cupping Kyungsoo’s throat, muttering to himself again.

“I wish I’d known just how bad your vocal chords are. I would’ve focused on that more while you were out. I was just so focused on the bite.”

When he finished and stood to his feet, Kyungsoo was surprised when he didn’t pack up his kit, and simply moved to the other side of the bed. “Come on, Baek, your turn.”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows pulled together as his gaze swept over Baekhyun’s body. He had a patch of gauze too, on his opposite shoulder. Oh. Kyungsoo reached through the pain to touch the skin below it, and Baekhyun shyly smiled. “Mating marks take longer to heal than normal wounds, even for us. Even when it’s self-inflicted and drunk from by a human. Yixing thinks our marks will heal at the same pace.”

Kyungsoo watched in awe as Yixing removed the bandage. It revealed two nicks clearly inflicted by sharp claws, with a purple bruise around it suspiciously in the shape of Kyungsoo’s mouth. He wondered if it would scar, like he knew his would. He just hoped it wasn’t hurting him.

“I’m okay,” Baekhyun murmured, fingers linking with his between them as Yixing worked. “It’s a lil’ tender but that’s it.”

Yixing pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, brows furrowing. “You really can just...read his mind like that?”

“Well...no.” Baekhyun frowned. “I’m not one-hundred percent sure how it works for him right now, but while the wounds are fresh, we’re...very deeply connected. More than I thought, after how Junmyeon and Sehun described it.” He turned to Kyungsoo, voice softening. “They’re up to date, by the way. Jongdae talked with Sehun. They send their well-wishes and wanna come visit when you’re feeling up to it.” Kyungsoo sighed and nodded. Baekhyun continued, “Like Sehun said, I can feel the bond connecting us like a string, pulled taut between us. It shouldn’t be that strong for Kyungsoo as a human, but I know he can feel emotions I push at him.”

“So like a normal mating?”

“Well, yes and no. I can speak for Kyungsoo because we can pick up...very specific emotions. It’s like there’s levels to these things. Wolves can sense very general emotions in anyone, distress, affection, et cetera. Mates can sense that, but on a higher level. They’re tuned into each other, right? It makes the senses sharper. But this...maybe it  _ is  _ like I can read his mind. If I can feel his worry, for example, there’s a certain color to it, a whisper of why he’s worried. It’s like...discovering new emotions, but really it’s just that specific thoughts and feelings have their own, well, feeling.”

Slowly, Kyungsoo nodded. Obviously, he wasn’t quite on that level, but he could feel the gentle prodding of Baekhyun’s soul within him, gentle spikes in emotion. He’d felt Baekhyun’s confusion, after all. 

“Love,” he whispered just as Yixing finished attaching a new bandage to Baekhyun’s shoulder, and Baekhyun beamed at him. He waited for Yixing to be out of the way before nuzzling his nose against Kyungsoo’s neck, nodding.

“We said  _ I love you _ without saying it out loud. That was a neat trick.”

Breath stuttered up Kyungsoo’s throat in a laugh, and he only winced a little. He nodded while Yixing watched them with soft eyes. “I’m really happy for you guys. That you found each other, and have this.” He winked. “And that you won’t be getting sick anymore.”

Baekhyun giggled. “Thanks, Xing.”

The smell of food wafted into the room, followed by Jongdae and Chanyeol each carrying two plates. Yixing got up so Jongdae could take his place, and he pulled a water bottle from his kit and handed it to Kyungsoo. “I’ll go get some more from the kitchen, and then I’ll give you some pain meds. Should give you just enough time to eat before they put you back to sleep.”

_ No, _ he suddenly thought. He didn’t want to go back to sleep, not yet. He wanted to sit here with Baekhyun and Jongdae, he wanted to feel his connection with Baekhyun as much as possible before it faded into something minute.

Baekhyun’s fingers caressed his cheek. “Hey,” he whispered. “Your body needs to heal. We’ll both be here the second you wake up. We’re not going anywhere until you’re better.”

Kyungsoo nodded, though he still didn’t want to sleep, and gestured to the food in Jongdae’s hands, who handed one to Baekhyun.

“I just piled extra onto these two plates and figured we’d all share.”

It was a solid plan, considering Baekhyun spent the entire time handfeeding Kyungsoo, which he only allowed because okay, yeah, moving  _ hurt. _ He still scarfed down the food Baekhyun gave him between being fed by Jongdae, as relaxed into the pillows as he could be, one hand fiddling with Baekhyun’s tail between them on the bed, the other gently scratching at Chanyeol’s scalp where he sat on the floor.

Getting injected with pain medicine was almost laughable, because Kyungsoo hated needles, but he couldn’t even feel it over everything else. And with his belly full and two bottles of water down, he thought, yeah, he could sleep.

“Where’s Minseok?” he thought to ask, when his vision started vignetting.

There was a weird silence, and then it was Yixing who answered, “He’s...working.”

Kyungsoo didn’t have time to answer, sleep sweeping him away.

The bed shifted, suddenly weighed down with one less body, and Kyungsoo stirred. He blinked around the dark room until his eyes landed on a Baekhyun-shaped shadow slipping through the door. Guilt rolled over him, but not his own. He realized that was what had woken him up, not the bed moving; Baekhyun’s thick guilt was twisting his stomach. 

Kyungsoo didn’t think, forcing his body to stumble out of bed to follow him. He quietly cried out, and just before he hit the floor, hands caught him. He looked to see Jongdae, and after a quick nod of understanding, they made their way after Baekhyun together.

"I'm fine," Baekhyun muttered before they even slid the balcony door all the way open. He was sitting on the floor, arms wrapped tight around his knees. "Please go back to bed. You should be resting, Soo."

Jongdae dragged a chair within reach of Baekhyun and helped Kyungsoo sit in it, then sat on the ground facing Baekhyun, back against the rails. When Baekhyun dropped his eyes to avoid him, Kyungsoo sighed. "I'm not going to force you to talk, but I'm also not going to let you stew in whatever's wrong alone. I know Jongdae won't either."

Jongdae shook his head in agreement. "You're stuck with us, babe."

Baekhyun didn't say anything, tail stiff behind him. The silence dragged, bringing Kyungsoo's exhaustion to his attention again, but the foreign guilt in his belly kept him awake. He idly played with Baekhyun's ears until Baekhyun, in a tearful voice said, "It just...hit me. That now I'm going to have to deal with my father's consequences."

Kyungsoo tried to reel in the feeling of his blood running cold, but the way Baekhyun's face crumpled told him he did a poor job. He hadn't even thought...

"It's why everyone's been acting weird, isn't it?" Baekhyun asked, finally looking at Jongdae. "I was so wrapped up in my wolf's happiness that I didn't even think — it didn't even  _ occur  _ to me — "

"Baek..." Jongdae tried, but he seemed at a loss.

“It never even crossed my mind in the moment, or after. What am I going to do? Am I going to have to...to run away to keep us safe?”

Jongdae lurched forward, taking Baekhyun’s face in his hands. “What? Baekhyun,  _ no. _ We’ll figure this out. One step at a time, remember?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered. They both jerked to look at him. “I should’ve...I shouldn’t have…” He wasn’t sure what he should or shouldn’t have done, really. There wasn’t a fiber in his being that wanted to stop Baekhyun from biting him, in the moment. He hadn’t thought about the consequences either, not for a second, not until now.

Baekhyun shook his head, tears dripping from his eyes with the force of it. He reached out, for Kyungsoo’s hand, and Kyungsoo weakly reciprocated, torn between pain and shame. “I don’t regret mating, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun insisted. “I  _ love _ you. I don’t regret it. We just should’ve—”

“Waited?”

Baekhyun’s eyelashes caught his next round of tears. “Yeah.”

“I know.” Kyungsoo took a deep breath. “You...felt it too though, right? How…”

“How inevitable it felt?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Like the bond decided for us.”

“I’m not even sure Jongdae would’ve been able to stop it,” Baekhyun quietly admitted.

Jongdae blinked, curious. “Really?”

They both nodded, and Kyungsoo said, “When I woke up…before it happened it was like...like  _ I  _ was going through rut.”

“We were both out of control. Completely.” Baekhyun squeezed their hands. “I could feel the way it took him over. Then we were just feeding off of each other’s energy.”

Kyungsoo slowly shook his head. “I just couldn’t stop it. Didn’t even try.”

Jongdae hummed, almost noncommittal, but then he scooted closer and rested his cheek on Kyungsoo’s thigh, hand sliding onto Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s. “Fate is one finicky bitch, huh.”

No one had anything to follow that, wallowing in the truth of it in silence, until Jongdae eventually spoke again.

“We’ll figure this out,” he whispered. “Everyone’s working on it. Minseok, especially.”

Baekhyun furrowed his brows. “I thought he was working on an important case.”

“This is the important case, Baekhyun.”

“Oh.” 

Kyungsoo watched in horror as Baekhyun’s face crumpled all over again, and he tried, so hard, to radiate a soothing calm, but it was hard when Baekhyun’s emotions were flooding him so strongly. Jongdae continued talking anyway.

“He’s working on the technical stuff, Yixing is looking into scent suppressants, Chanyeol has been working with Junmyeon and Sehun on researching wolves who have successfully broken away from their abusive packs.” He pulled on Baekhyun, tugged until he fell into Jongdae’s chest, quietly crying. “We  _ will _ figure this out, Baekhyun. I promise you.”

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun sobbed. “We won’t. We won’t.”

“Baekhyun, what are you—”

“He called. During the rut. He called and I missed it. I didn’t even realize until—he just sent a text. Before I came out here. He wants us home in two days.”

Jongdae looked up at Kyungsoo, and the panic was clear on his face.

They were fucked.


	14. Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun and Jongdae go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 6.2k

**junmyeon:** _ I still can’t believe you and Baekhyun MATED! I wasn’t expecting that, omg.  _ _   
_ **junmyeon:** _ Kyungsoo. Your timing T_T _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ junmyeon. _ _   
_ **junmyeon:** _ SORRY SORRY. Sehunnie and I can’t find much on our end :( As much as Traditionalists control the articles on cross-species mating, I can only imagine what they do to erase How Tos on escaping shitty packs.  _ _   
_ **junmyeon:** _ We’ve been working pretty much nonstop from every angle with Chanyeollie, and even Jongin and Taemin in Paris. They have connections and knowledge that we don’t, but they’re getting the same results. _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ it’s okay, jun. thank you for trying. i think minseok is at a complete loss.  _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ there are plenty of options, but other than going into witness protection, none of them can guarantee baekhyun and jongdae’s safety. _ _   
_ **junmyeon:** _ Or yours. _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** _ i’m not worried about that. _ _   
_ **junmyeon:** _ I know you aren’t, but the rest of us are. None of us want to lose you, dummy. _ _   
_ **kyungsoo:** __ ah, yixing is back. gotta go.

“Well?” Kyungsoo asked, dropping his phone on the coffee table and pressing into the hand that squeezed the back of his neck. It was followed by Baekhyun, who sat next to him and kissed his healing shoulder. Yixing sat on the coffee table across from them.

He rummaged through his bag until he procured two cylindrical bottles. Pills. He held them up. “I would’ve preferred trying this naturally, with herbs, you know that.” They nodded. “But to get two of the central herbs for the recipe, I’d have to have them shipped from Taiwan and it would take two weeks or more.” Kyungsoo sighed. Jongdae and Baekhyun had to go home  _ tomorrow. _ Yixing shook the pill bottles. “These are unofficial-official scent suppressants. They’ll, in theory, suppress every scent claiming you except your own. They’re in the very last stage of testing, and have only been successful so far. They’re set to go on the market in six months.”

“So they’re safe?” Kyungsoo asked. Baekhyun kissed his shoulder again.

“In theory.” Yixing nodded. “Illegal, but safe.”

Kyungsoo hesitated. “How did you…”

“It’s best if no one knows.”

Kyungsoo felt the zing of deep worry flood the line between him and Baekhyun as the latter sagged forward, releasing Kyungsoo and reaching for Yixing’s hand. “Xing…” he said, barely audible. “Whatever you did, you didn’t have to—”

“I know that.” Yixing set the pills on the table and cupped Baekhyun’s hand between both of his. “You have no idea, Baek, how much it’s hurt since we met to see the state your family puts you in. Anything,  _ anything _ I can do to buy you some time, I will. We’re in this. Together. All of us.”

Kyungsoo nodded, even though he knew Baekhyun’s worry was warranted. It was one thing for the rest of them to be dodging work with fake illnesses, but this was an extreme that could ruin Yixing.

“I want to try them now.”

Kyungsoo frowned at Baekhyun before asking, “Are there any potential side effects?”

Yixing let go of Baekhyun’s hand and picked up the pill bottles again. “Nausea, drowsiness, hunger. Though that last one is seen more…”

Baekhyun sighed. “With mated wolves?”

Yixing nodded, avoiding their eyes. “It’s reported as an empty feeling of sorts, like you haven’t eaten. But it’s because your mate’s scent is missing.”

“Baek…” Kyungsoo slid his hand up Baekhyun’s back. “It can wait till morning.”

But Baekhyun shook his head. “If I take it now and it works, I can spend the night with you and Jongdae. Jongdae can spend the night with us. If it doesn’t then...we’ll have to stay away from each other right away.” He turned to look at Kyungsoo, beautiful, sad eyes shining. “What does an empty feeling matter if I still have you in my arms, huh? If I can touch you until the last possible second?”

Reluctantly, Kyungsoo nodded and gently reached for Baekhyun’s face to pull him into a kiss. The angle pulled at his still-sore muscles, but he didn’t stop, pressing their foreheads together. “We’ll get through this. Like Yixing said. Together.” Baekhyun nodded too, planting kisses down his face until he was buried in Kyungsoo’s neck, arms wrapped tightly around him. Kyungsoo only winced a little, which was progress, really.

Yixing noticed, though, smiling in sympathy until Baekhyun let Kyungsoo go. “Why don’t I do a check-up while Baekhyun gets situated?” They both nodded and Yixing handed the meds to Baekhyun. “One of each. With water.”

“Okay,” was Baekhyun’s quiet answer, and he hurried into the kitchen. He preferred being glued to Kyungsoo’s side during check-ups, so Kyungsoo knew he wouldn’t be gone for long.

Baekhyun came back in record speed, grimacing as he predictably plastered himself to Kyungsoo. “Those taste awful, Xing.”

Yixing chuckled, carefully peeling the bandage from Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Hmm...it’s looking pretty good, Soo.” Kyungsoo flinched when Yixing poked at it; the bite was definitely still tender, despite the speed with which it was healing. In fact, a quick glance down showed Kyungsoo it was already scabbing over, a good sign, despite how gross it looked.

Baekhyun eased his chin onto Kyungsoo’s good shoulder, lips ghosting against his neck. “Love you,” he murmured, making Kyungsoo turn on reflex and kiss the first thing he could reach, which ended up being right between Baekhyun’s eyebrows. Baekhyun giggled.

Jongdae got home from a short tutoring shift just before Yixing bandaged the bite back up, getting a good look at it from behind the couch before bending over and kissing Kyungsoo’s head, then Baekhyun’s. “It looks a lot better, Soo.” He stopped, bending back over and sniffing Baekhyun’s hair. Then again, and again. “Baek, you smell fucking weird.”

“That’s rude,” Baekhyun huffed, then he paused. “Oh. Weird how?”

“Like...I mean, like you, but  _ not.” _

“Oh, it works fast,” Kyungsoo stated, blinking at the others in surprise.

Baekhyun peered around him to get a good look at Yixing, eyes wide, hopeful, as he said, “It  _ works.” _

“What are you guys—oh. Wait. Suppressants? You got them?!”

Yixing nodded, packing up his case. “Not the herbs I wanted, but yes.”

“What, pills…?”

“Yes.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun both looked up at Jongdae, who had his mouth open to say something, concern etched in his brow, but Baekhyun shook his head.

“Can you smell the mating on me, Dae?” he asked, chewing on his lip.

“Ah, babe.” Jongdae sagged over the couch, arms wrapping around Baekhyun, nose pressing into his neck. “It’s hard to tell with Kyungsoo so close, but I don’t think I can. It’s fading at the very least.” He trailed his nose along Baekhyun’s skin, lips puckering into kisses, hands rubbing Baekhyun’s chest and stomach.

After a moment of it not stopping, Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo and Yixing, a newfound sadness filling his eyes. “I don’t think he can smell himself either,” he said, and sounded quite devastated about it. Kyungsoo’s heart sank. He didn’t have to ask to know they had  _ always  _ smelled like each other, even if they sometimes had to dull it down for their families. Maybe Kyungsoo didn’t know what the scenting thing was like, but he knew enough to know it probably  _ was _ devastating, the idea of not smelling like your wanted-mate after an entire life of your scents mingling.

He reached for Baekhyun’s face, thumb stroking his cheek, and said, “Why don’t you guys take a minute, yeah? In your room? I’ll order us some food and talk with Yixing.”

“Our room,” Baekhyun said, clutching Kyungsoo’s hand. Then, he faltered, like he wasn’t sure why he said it, but only for a moment. “Our room,” he repeated, soft, reassuring.

Kyungsoo’s stomach swirled with love, and he nodded, leaning forward to kiss him. “Yeah, baby. Our room.”

The next morning was tense, enough that Kyungsoo was sick with it.

Yixing’s palm pressed against his bandaged shoulder, then his hip. Silence suffocated the apartment around Yixing’s quiet ramblings. Baekhyun and Jongdae were packing, doing their best not to touch each other or be touched by Kyungsoo, just in case the suppressants couldn’t mask it all. It  _ sucked. _

“Curled up in the fetal position like this is only going to make you hurt more,” Yixing muttered. Kyungsoo shrugged as best as he could, making Yixing sigh and nod. “I know. I feel it too. Thick enough to make someone nauseous.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah.”

Yixing moved his hand to Kyungsoo’s face, caressing it. Kyungsoo almost mentioned that his face didn’t need healing, but decided not to be a complete asshole. “I have some of those herbs left from when you and Baekhyunnie were sick. I’ll make you some tea with it.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo whispered, because he knew arguing was futile. “Will you check on them?”

“Of course. Tea first, though.”

Chanyeol showed up while Kyungsoo waited, taking one look at Kyungsoo and fitting himself onto the couch, rearranging limbs until they were resting in their most-familiar position. By the time Kyungsoo's cheek was pressing against Chanyeol's stomach and Chanyeol's fingers were buried in his hair, breathing was just a little easier. He didn't even mind being awkwardly smushed when Yixing leaned down to kiss Chanyeol's mouth.

"I got it," Chanyeol murmured, but Kyungsoo didn't open his eyes to find out what he was talking about, though the smell of Yixing's herbal tea wafted right into his nostrils, so, probably that. He sighed as Yixing's footsteps faded down the hallway toward the deafening silence in the bedroom. “It feels bad in here,” Chanyeol murmured. “You can feel it too, can’t you?” Kyungsoo nodded. “I’m sorry, bub. I wish I could do something to help.”

“This is good,” Kyungsoo said. “Thank you.”

Chanyeol hummed, his hands doing their best to soothe Kyungsoo, fingers always carefully ghosting over his bad shoulder. 

“You should drink your tea,” he muttered eventually. “Before it goes cold.” He audibly sniffed the air. “And because it stinks. I hate that stuff.”

That, at least, pulled a dull chuckle from Kyungsoo’s chest, and he could just feel the way Chanyeol preened. It only made Kyungsoo feel that much better. He hadn’t seen enough of Chanyeol the last few days.

“Sure, Yeollie.”

Chanyeol, generous as ever, still held Kyungsoo as he sipped. They only shifted so they were sitting up, with Kyungsoo’s back against Chanyeol’s front, Chanyeol’s thumbs rubbing soothing circles into his stomach. They were found that way, when there was only a sip or two of tea left. Yixing let him finish it before taking the cup for him.

“Any better?” he asked.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “A little.” He thought it was probably Chanyeol and not the tea helping.

Yixing nodded like he understood, cupping both of their faces before moving toward the door. Someone knocked, but before Kyungsoo could be weirded out by the timing, Baekhyun was there, kneeling next to the couch.

“I’m sorry,” he softly said, taking Kyungsoo’s hand in his. His eyes were so, so tired, worried. Kyungsoo wished he could just take his and Jongdae’s hands and run away, get them away from all of this. Baekhyun kissed his knuckles. “I’m trying to reel it in. I’m not used to sharing a direct line with someone like this.”

“It’s not like it’s just you, Baek. I’m worried too.”

“You’re feeding off of each other,” Yixing said with a sigh. There was a woman behind him, carrying a rather large, black trunk and wearing a mischievous grin. Yixing smiled to the room and said, “Everyone, this is Wendy, Junmyeon and Sehun’s friend. She’s going to make Baekhyun’s mating mark disappear.”

“It itches,” Baekhyun muttered when he flopped into the passenger seat of his and Jongdae’s car. Kyungsoo cowered under Chanyeol’s arm in the backseat to stop himself from reaching out. He didn’t know if it was supernatural or just an utter  _ need _ to touch Baekhyun, probably both, but it was killing him. Baekhyun didn’t seem to be faring much better, turning around to quickly grasp Kyungsoo’s hand and kiss it. It helped something settle in Kyungsoo’s chest, but only something small.

“I just hope it doesn’t get too irritated,” Jongdae said from the driver’s seat, diverting back to the topic. “Putting all that prosthetic and glue and makeup on your mating mark while it’s still scabbed.”

“It looks great though,” Chanyeol chimed in, ever the optimistic one. He wasn’t lying though. Wendy had worked some kind of magic on the mark. Even with what seemed like a hundred layers of makeup and prosthetics, Baekhyun’s shoulder looked perfect, completely unmarred.

Baekhyun turned a gentle smile on Chanyeol. “Thanks, Yeollie. Hopefully—” He sighed, making Jongdae glance at him. He entwined his and Baekhyun’s fingers.

“Alpha won’t know. This is going to work, Baekhyun. He only wants us home for two days. We can do this.”

“Are you guys—” Kyungsoo blurted, wincing. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to go with you?”

“Soo,” Chanyeol tried to soothe. “We’ll be on the opposite side of town as them.”

“I know, I just—”

Jongdae turned around in his seat, eyebrows stern as he said, “Sehun and everything we’ve read said it’s best if new mates stay close in the first week or two. If you’re nearby, Baek and I can sneak away for short periods of time so you can see each other. We need to make sure you heal properly.”

Kyungsoo sighed. He knew there was no talking them out of this, but he couldn’t stop the worry that putting him in the same town as their pack was going to put the entire ruse in jeopardy. Wouldn’t the pack notice them leaving? Wouldn’t they be able to smell Kyungsoo on their clothes when they came back and wonder?

“I should—” he tried, shaking his head. “I should at least go in a separate car. You’ve taken the suppressants but what if my scent clings to your clothes—”

Jongdae lurched forward, his hands cupping Kyungsoo’s cheeks. “Babe,” he said. Kyungsoo blinked at the sight of red bleeding into Jongdae’s brown irises. “Everything is going to be fine. These are brand new clothes that Minseok brought in right before we walked out here, remember?” Kyungsoo reluctantly nodded. “Any scent clinging to the clothes, we can explain away, okay? We just—baby, we want you as close as possible until the last second.”

Kyungsoo sagged, nodding against his hands. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

The drive was thick with tension just like the apartment. Despite them wanting Kyungsoo close, they hardly spoke, and the longer the silence dragged, the more on edge they all seemed to be. All Kyungsoo wanted to do was nap under Chanyeol’s arm, but he couldn’t even manage that, scared to miss even a single second.

“Let’s stop here,” Jongdae eventually muttered, when the blur of trees had transformed into quirky, old-fashioned buildings and people, werewolves mostly, wandering the streets. He pulled into an alley that offered one row of parking against a brick building that seemed to house a coffee shop, and for a moment they just sat there, staring forward. It was time.

“Guys…” Chanyeol said, nervous. “It’s gonna work. You’ve got this.”

Baekhyun and Jongdae nodded, but they didn’t look back, entranced by the brick it seemed.

“This is about halfway between the mansion and your hotel, I think,” Jongdae said. “We’ll call a cab.” He picked up his phone, and Kyungsoo sighed.

Baekhyun unbuckled himself and turned around, knees in the seat and chin propped, peering at Kyungsoo with the kind of sad adoration that made it feel like the end.

“We’ll have to have dinner with the pack, but we’ll get out and have a late dinner with you guys, yeah?” Kyungsoo nodded, fingers touching the very tips of Baekhyun’s where they clung to the seat. “Wait for me?”

“Always.”

A strong wave of affection rolled over Kyungsoo, pushed by Baekhyun, settling into his bones. It was a breath of fresh air around all the tension and sadness, and he nodded. Baekhyun softened, nodding back.

“The cab’s just around the corner,” Jongdae said. “We should get our bags.”

Reluctantly, Baekhyun nodded, but he didn’t move just yet. “Come here,” he whispered to Kyungsoo, patiently waiting for him to lean forward. Baekhyun pressed their mouths together, and it was too short, but it would have to be enough. It was enough, the warmth of it spreading to the tips of his fingers and toes. “I’ll see you tonight, darling,” Baekhyun said against his lips, and Kyungsoo could only nod.

“Okay, well now I need one,” Jongdae whined, tugging on Baekhyun’s sleeve when he tried to get out of the car. Baekhyun melted into him, smiling into their chaste kiss and making Kyungsoo sigh. 

“Now,” Baekhyun sighed, too. “Kiss our lover and come help me with the bags.” Kyungsoo snorted, but instantly softened when Baekhyun turned a gentle smile on him. “Bye bye, baby.”

“See you later, Baek.”

Kyungsoo watched him climb out of the car, stomach swooping with anxiety once more. Jongdae’s soft voice grabbed his attention, though, and the single finger under Kyungsoo’s chin, tipping his face up for a kiss that lasted a moment longer than Baekhyun’s. Jongdae hummed into it, thumb brushing Kyungsoo’s jaw.

“I love you, too, you know,” Kyungsoo whispered, holding Jongdae’s hand in place. He hadn’t told him yet, every moment feeling wrong, but if now wasn’t it, he didn’t know  _ when. _ He felt Jongdae’s shock, pulsing against his face, and smiled. “You slipped, when you called about Baekhyun’s rut. I was so caught off guard I couldn’t say it back. But I wanted you to know.”

His parted lips were crushed under a kiss, and Kyungsoo was too weak to stop it, relief curling his toes.

“I love you, Soo. I love you.”

“I know. Me too.”

“Okay.” Jongdae huffed. “Okay. Get to the hotel safe, yeah? Both of you.”

“Of course.” Kyungsoo watched Jongdae cup Chanyeol’s cheek, then his own, and then he was leaving cold trails in his wake as he exited the car.

They waited to move, until Baekhyun and Jongdae were gone, their taxi crawling around the corner with them huddled inside it. Even then, Kyungsoo found it hard to budge, worry freely flooding him now that his wolves weren’t right beside him.

“I promise they’ll be okay, Soo,” Chanyeol murmured, slipping his arm back around him. “Come on, let’s go stock up on snacks and check in to the hotel. I packed my Playstation!”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “Of course you did.”

Together, they climbed out of the back seat and into the front, Kyungsoo settling behind the steering wheel and trying not to be sentimental about the seat still being soaked in Jongdae’s warmth.

Chanyeol gingerly touched his hand on the gear shift, catching his attention. “That was your first time telling him? Jongdae?” Kyungsoo nodded.

“Baekhyun and I only said it a few days ago. So it’s not like—god. That feels like a lifetime ago, though.”

“You’ve had a wild week, bub. I’m just happy you’re okay.”

Chanyeol plugged their hotel address into his phone to guide Kyungsoo there, and once they were a couple of minutes away, they searched for gas stations to fill the car’s tank and stock up on snacks like Chanyeol wanted.

They split up inside the store; like most things, this was routine for them. They each took half of the store and grabbed their usuals. The only difference this time was Kyungsoo lingering in the candy section, eyes unable to move from the strawberry and lemon candy Baekhyun and Jongdae loved so much. It was kind of terrible, but Kyungsoo would buy it anyway, still reeling in sentimentality, clearly.

Carefully, he grabbed a bag, struggling to keep everything else balanced in his arms. His downfall was Chanyeol calling his name from a few aisles over, because when Kyungsoo turned to stand on his tiptoes and look for him, he bumped right into someone, everything spilling from his arms.

“Oh fuck,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.” He caught the sight of flicking ears that blended in with ginger hair as he bent down after the stranger, both of them gathering his stuff from the floor.

“It’s okay,” a soft, almost playful voice answered him.

“Ah, you don’t have to—I’ve got this—”

“Nonsense.” A smile flooded his vision, blinded it almost. She was pretty, certainly, but the level of  _ flirt _ she was exuding was instantly overwhelming. “It was my fault for standing too close. I forget not everyone has my enhanced senses.” She giggled. “I just think you smell so interesting.”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo cleared his throat, thankful to see Chanyeol approaching behind the stranger. “Thank you?”

“Everything okay, Soo?” Chanyeol asked, quirking a brow when Kyungsoo looked up at him and nodded. “Why don’t you grab a basket for our stuff? I’ll get the rest.”

Kyungsoo tried not to show his confusion on his face. Chanyeol never tried to send Kyungsoo away like that, but he must have sensed something that Kyungsoo couldn’t.

“Sure,” he said, and faced the mischievous wolf in front of him again. “Sorry again for being so clumsy.” He stood with the couple of things he had grabbed from the floor and eased away. He was pretty sure he had seen a stack of handheld baskets at the very end of the aisle.

_ “So protective of your boyfriend,” _ he heard the stranger say.  _ “I wasn’t going to hurt your pretty little fragile human.” _

_ “I didn’t think you were,” _ Chanyeol responded.  _ “But yeah, I’m protective of him. Can’t be too careful.” _

_ “Oh, I understand, handsome.” _

Kyungsoo didn’t hear anything else, and when he turned around, the woman was gone. He hurried back to Chanyeol, helping him stash their stuff in the basket when Chanyeol shook his head at him first, brows furrowed.

“What was  _ that _ all about?” he asked, only once they were pulling into the hotel parking lot.

Chanyeol shook his head. “Something about her just put me on edge. I thought she might have been following you. I didn’t realize how close to you she actually was until you bumped into her.” He sighed. “I was calling you to get you away from her.”

“Huh. Well. That’s odd.”

“Sorry I went all protective wolf,” Chanyeol muttered.

Kyungsoo huffed, reaching for Chanyeol’s hand. “I didn’t say anything, did I? Thank you, Yeollie. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I guess it was just one of those things where my scent appealed to her, huh?”

Chanyeol hummed. “Guess she likes spice.”

Kyungsoo started to feel uneasy late in the afternoon.

They’d been eating and gaming for hours, and he wrote it off for a while as residual anxiety, and then annoyance that Chanyeol had confiscated his phone so he wouldn’t obsessively check it every five seconds. He didn’t expect to hear from Baekhyun or Jongdae until they were on their way to the hotel anyway, which was pretty normal based on last time, but then the hours ticked on. On and on and on. Until Kyungsoo’s stomach hurt so bad he couldn’t focus on the game and even Chanyeol was checking Kyungsoo’s silent phone with a frown.

“Anything?” Kyungsoo asked, and was his shoulder  _ throbbing? _

“No…” Chanyeol carefully said, eyes trained on the phone like he could will a text or call into existence. “Maybe they meant a... _ really _ late dinner?”

“Chanyeol, what time is it?”

“Um. Ten.”

_ “What?” _ Kyungsoo shot up on the bed, groaning until Chanyeol caught him. “Something’s wrong, Yeol.”

“I’m sure they’re just—”

“No.” Kyungsoo grasped his stomach. “Yeol, something’s  _ wrong. _ I don’t think this feeling is  _ mine.” _

Chanyeol’s eyes went wide, phone slipping from his hand. “S-Something happened to Baekhyun?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve never felt this before—”

It was like a pit, the deepest pit of sorrow caught in a tornado of anxiety. While someone stabbed him. Chanyeol’s hands gripped his face.

“We’ll give it an hour,” he said, nodding like he was trying to convince himself. “If they’re not here in an hour, we’ll try to find the mansion.”

“How? Their stupid—they didn’t give us the address.”

“We’ll use your connection to Baek like a beacon. It should work, right? The closer you two are, the more you can feel each other. Right?”

Slowly, Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah...yeah.”

They lasted thirty minutes before racing to the car.

Chanyeol jumped in the driver's seat without question, taking the keys from Kyungsoo and driving until they reached the coffee shop they had last been with Baekhyun and Jongdae.

“Anything?” Chanyeol asked. “Any change at all?”

“I don’t think so.” It was hard to tell around all the pain. “Maybe.”

“Focus, Soo. I-I know it’s hard, but you’ve gotta.”

Kyungsoo nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and searching within himself, sifting through the pain. But he couldn’t grasp that connection he had already grown so familiar with. 

“We’re still not close enough,” he said.

“Okay. We’ll drive in the opposite direction of the hotel and see if anything changes.”

They did just that, in relative silence apart from Chanyeol’s occasional  _ “anything?” _ and Kyungsoo’s miserable  _ “no.” _ Kyungsoo was starting to wonder if Jongdae had lied about the coffee shop being a halfway point, or if they had driven in the wrong direction altogether. They’d been driving for a solid twenty minutes, taking aimless turns and correcting themselves using the map on Kyungsoo’s phone, with no results.

Chanyeol was speaking in rapid succession with Yixing on his own phone, eyes glued almost too intensely to the road. Apparently Yixing and Minseok were already on their way to them. Chanyeol made a left turn, glancing at Kyungsoo and pointing with his hand still on the wheel. The houses were bigger here, but still not quite  _ mansion-like. _

It didn’t matter though, when Kyungsoo’s phone slipped from his hand and he doubled over with the pain of a thousand knives searing through his body.

_ “Kyungsoo!” _

“W-We’re close…” he gasped out, strain making his entire face burn. “Straight. Keep going.”

“Soo…”

“Yeol,  _ go.” _ Kyungsoo didn’t care about himself, not when he knew now that it wasn’t just that something was wrong, but Baekhyun was projecting this pain through their connection. Which meant whatever was happening to Baekhyun felt a hell of a lot worse than what Kyungsoo was going through.

He forced himself to sit up, vision blurry but not enough to keep him from seeing the houses getting even bigger, more pristine, fancy.

Mansion-like.

He told Chanyeol to turn left before he could even process that he was going to say it, and they both shouted, the car jolting with the force of Chanyeol’s foot on the breaks.

The headlights shone on Jongdae, distraught, broken, sobbing.

He ran toward the car, yanking the back door open and throwing himself inside. “Drive,” he cried. “The hotel.  _ Hurry.” _

“Jongdae, wh-what’s going on?” Chanyeol asked as he obeyed, sounding shaken enough for the both of them.

Jongdae’s sobs were muffled, by his hand, his arm, Kyungsoo couldn’t tell, his boyfriend masked in darkness, hidden from him just like Baekhyun’s fate. When they reached a stop sign ten minutes from where they’d almost run Jongdae over, the pain had subsided just enough to not be debilitated by it. He told Chanyeol to hold on, then unbuckled and clumsily climbed between the seats, falling directly into Jongdae’s embrace. He didn’t bother correcting his limbs, curling up and clinging to Jongdae just as tightly as Jongdae was to him, weeping into Kyungsoo’s neck.

The questions Kyungsoo wanted to ask, he already had the answers to.  _ Is Baekhyun okay? No, he’s not. Is Baekhyun alive? Yes, but he’s in pain. _ So instead of asking, he let Jongdae cry, and let himself cry with him.

It was only when they were back in the hotel, door deadbolted and a confirmation that Yixing and Minseok were almost there, that Jongdae finally began talking.

“Baekhyun—he—he’s been contained.”

Chanyeol bracketed Kyungsoo in, keeping him from falling over but holding onto Jongdae too, whimpering into Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The room drifted a bit as Kyungsoo processed the words, becoming floaty and distant as if he was dissociating entirely. Contained. Baekhyun had been contained. What did that even mean? No, he knew what that meant in some capacity.

“Jongdae…” Jongdae shook his head, clearly trying to keep his crying in check. Kyungsoo could only handle one deep inhale against his neck, though, before he was grabbing Jongdae’s face and forcing him to look at him.  _ “Jongdae.” _

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae whispered, face crumpling, fingers curling against Kyungsoo’s back. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have—I should’ve stayed by his side every  _ second. _ But everything had gone so smoothly—”

“The suppressants didn’t work?” Kyungsoo asked, voice coming out as more of a  _ whoosh. _ His world was becoming unsteadier by the minute, and he didn’t know whether to be concerned-times-one-hundred that he couldn’t feel Baekhyun’s pain anymore, or relieved.

Jongdae shook his head again. “They worked. Somehow, they worked.” His lip trembled as he peered into Kyungsoo’s eyes, and Kyungsoo just wished he could see Jongdae’s, through the wall of tears blocking them.

“Then what the fuck happ—”

The back of Jongdae’s fingers brushed his cheeks, catching tears, stopping Kyungsoo’s heart with the sheer level of devastation on Jongdae’s face. “I have a cousin,” he whispered. “Bella. An Omega. She-She’s been under Alpha’s thumb for so long now. Baek and I—Baek and I think they’re having an affair, I don’t know.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Kyungsoo asked behind gritted teeth.

“She caught mine and Baekhyun’s scents. On you.”

It was Chanyeol that said,  _ “No,” _ while Kyungsoo’s brain malfunctioned altogether.  _ On you. On Kyungsoo. _ That meant— 

_ I just think you smell so interesting. _

“I-I guess Alpha had her watching for us downtown. From her—from her fucking gloating, I guess she saw us get in the cab and our car get driven away.”

Kyungsoo’s voice spoke words that he wasn’t sure had even crossed his mind yet, not consciously at least. “She knew where you were going, so she followed us.”

“I knew she was suspicious,” Chanyeol said, voice weak. “She must have been sniffing you out when you bumped into her—god, Kyungsoo, I’m so sorry—”

Suddenly, Jongdae was  _ murderous, _ red eyes boring into Kyungsoo’s.  _ “She got that close to you? _ Did she fucking touch you? I’ll—”

_ “Jongdae.” _

_ “Tell me.” _

Chanyeol’s whimper sent Kyungsoo into protective mode, blindly reaching for his hand while his other grabbed Jongdae’s chin. It was harsh, and dangerous, maybe, because he could feel an intensity rolling within him that wasn’t quite his own or Baekhyun’s. It wasn’t a feeling, exactly, but something trying to command him. He remembered Junmyeon telling him Alphas with enough power in the right circumstances could affect humans, but also that it wasn’t strong like it was for Omegas and Betas. So Kyungsoo felt justified in grabbing Jongdae like he did, his own anger permeating the room.

“Jongdae Kim. You need to calm your Alpha shit the fuck down right now and tell me what happened to Baekhyun and how to fix it.”

“Just tell me if she  _ touched you  _ so I can  _ break her hands.” _

“Fuck, Jongdae! This isn’t you!” Kyungsoo snapped. “She didn’t fucking touch me! Chanyeol called my name and I bumped into her. That’s it!”

“She shouldn’t have been standing so close to you—“

“It doesn’t matter now, does it? It’s done! Baekhyun is, what? Imprisoned? And in so much fucking pain, so  _ you _ tell  _ me  _ what the fuck happened—“

The red of Jongdae’s eyes dimmed, his tears almost instantly back. “H-How do you know he’s in pain?”

Maybe Jongdae  _ was _ affecting Kyungsoo, because he was crying again too, as if they were never at each other’s throats at all. “Because I can feel it,” he whispered, broken. “I  _ could— _ I think he’s asleep right now.”  _ Or knocked out. _ But he didn’t want to think about that.

“Oh god, Soo, I’m so fucking sorry—“ Jongdae sobbed, but instead of burrowing against Kyungsoo’s neck again, he hid behind his hands in shame. “That’s how you found me, isn’t it—oh god, I can’t imagine—I’m so sorry—“

“It doesn’t matter—“ Kyungsoo said, breaking off when Chanyeol suddenly got on his knees on the floor, one hand on each of them, head bowed against Jongdae’s thigh. Kyungsoo almost shouted at Jongdae for reducing Chanyeol to this, but then Jongdae melted, hands dropping from his face to grasp at Chanyeol and bend over to hug him.

“I need Yixing and Minseok too—“ he gasped. “I need everyone close—“

“They’re almost here, Alpha. I promise.”

Kyungsoo rapidly blinked, pushing tears down his cheeks. Chanyeol had mentioned once how Omegas were naturally calming to Alphas, in stress, in ruts, et cetera. Before Kyungsoo could say anything, though, Jongdae was sitting up again, holding Chanyeol’s face.

“Oh god, Yeol, I’m so sorry.” He tucked his chin against his chest as he quietly weeped. “You—You don’t have to call me—fuck, I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming I’m being right now—“

“I bowed to you,” Chanyeol said, “all on my own. I trust you, and I want to help you feel better in whatever way I can.” Kyungsoo thumbed at his ear affectionately, and he turned to look at him. “And you too, Soo, but you know that already.”

Kyungsoo nodded, chest trembling. “Yeah, I do, Yeollie.”

Chanyeol nodded, hand squeezing his, and peered at Jongdae again. “Now, I’m here, Alpha. Please tell us what happened to Baekhyun.”

But then sharp knocks rapped at the door, and Kyungsoo angrily stood up, stomping over to the door to unlock and swing it open. Yixing and Minseok’s equally distraught expressions broke something in Kyungsoo.  _ Add it to the list, _ he figured. He sagged, shakily exhaling against Yixing’s shoulder when they both scooped him up in a hug.

“What happened, Soo?” Minseok asked.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Someone in the pack caught their scents on me and reported it back to Baek’s father. H-He’s been contained but that’s all I know. Jongdae hasn’t said anything else yet.”

“He pretended not to know,” Jongdae croaked from the bed. Yixing and Minseok moved around Kyungsoo at first, but when Kyungsoo showed no signs of moving, staring blankly at the door, someone—Minseok—came back to help him back into the room. Jongdae continued, “Alpha, he...acted  _ proud _ of us. Said maybe we could come home soon after all, since we’d clearly finally learned restraint.”

“Oh, Jongdae…” Yixing murmured. Kyungsoo was on the bed again, Jongdae’s thigh warm against his. Minseok was there, too, close behind them, hands rubbing their backs. Yixing had sat on the floor to hug Chanyeol. It was almost cozy, if Kyungsoo’s world wasn’t crashing down around him.

Jongdae shook his head. “I guess that’s what got us. Even though we know—he still...lured us into this false sense of security.” He scrubbed at his eyes while his other hand found Kyungsoo’s. “We got through dinner, to the end of it at least, and I know all we could both think about was coming back here to see you, Soo. We were so relieved.”

Kyungsoo stared at their hands, and no one said a word until Jongdae collected himself enough to continue.

“M-My brother, my  _ brother _ distracted me. I guess—Baekhyunnie was comfortable enough to go to the kitchen without me to help his mom and he-he played right into Alpha’s hands. I was stupid not to notice he didn’t come back—“

Minseok wrapped his arms around Jongdae, leaving Kyungsoo to feel so, so fucking alone while he struggled to grip what was happening. It was the most selfish way to feel, but to sit there while everyone comforted Jongdae when Kyungsoo felt like a piece of him was slowly being ripped off just made him feel further away from them and the room than ever. 

“They brought him to the basement,” Jongdae cried, making Kyungsoo flinch. The basement, a glorified torture chamber. Usually for wolves who needed to ‘relearn’ the Traditional ways. Bile rose threateningly in Kyungsoo’s throat.

“He woke up,” Jongdae said, only growing more distraught. “They didn’t expect that. But he’s so strong despite everything. He woke up and I could-could feel his pain, hear him crying out for me—“ Jongdae broke out into a fresh wave of sobs. “I should’ve been paying attention. I never should have—“ 

“It’s not your fault,” Kyungsoo managed to say, voice sounding like gravel was coating his throat. He took a deep breath. “But how do we get him out, Jongdae?” 

“We can’t,” Jongdae said at first, then after a few more quiet sobs, he shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I have to figure that out.”

“We have to. Jongdae, I can feel him fading. I have to help. You can’t leave me out of this. He’s my—he’s my fucking mate.”

“He’s mine too. You’re—mine. Even if we haven’t—I still—“

“I know. I know.” With hands tangled in both Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s hair, like he was drawing strength from them, Jongdae drew Kyungsoo into a kiss. Kyungsoo clawed at his scalp and neck, desperate for a feeling other than ghoulish.

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae whispered into his mouth, but Kyungsoo pressed in with higher desperation. “I’ll fix this.”

_ “We  _ will,” Kyungsoo said, though it came out as a growl. “Promise me right now that you won’t leave me out. Let me  _ help.” _

Reluctantly, Jongdae nodded, and Kyungsoo nipped at his lip, uncaring to their audience. “I promise, baby. I promise.” Kyungsoo, satisfied, broke away to lock himself in the bathroom.

He sat, curled up in the shower and cried as quietly as he could into his knees as Baekhyun’s pain flooded him again. He had to get him out of there, no matter the cost.


	15. Betrayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo takes matters into his own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 6.5k

The first thing Kyungsoo did when he woke up the next morning was read the note next to his head.

Then, he swiped everything off the bedside table in a fit of rage.

_ I’m going back,  _ the note read.  _ I’m sorry, baby. I could never live with myself if I didn’t do everything possible to keep you safe. You should go when the others get back to the hotel from dropping me off. I’ll bring him home to you if it’s the last thing I do. I love you. _

Kyungsoo shouted, red hot tears of anger filling his eyes. How could Jongdae do this to him? How could the others? Chanyeol?

He didn’t hear the door open while he stormed around, had no idea he wasn’t alone until arms wrapped tightly around him to stop him from destroying more of the hotel room. “Soo, Soo, please, stop!” Chanyeol.  _ Chanyeol didn’t leave him. _ But he sounded upset, which is the only reason Kyungsoo stopped thrashing in his hold. “I’m sorry, Soo. I tried to reason with them. I tried—” Chanyeol’s words devolved into a sob, his face pressing to Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and Kyungsoo stared ahead, somewhere between dissociative and dead inside.

“I told him not to leave me out,” he whispered. “I told him—”

“I know. I’m sorry, Soo. He was trying to protect you and I told him—he should’ve talked to you. They wanted me to go too but I—I couldn’t just leave you alone…”

“It’s fine.” Kyungsoo scrunched up his nose. He just wanted to stop Chanyeol’s rambling. “Thank you.” Jongdae wanted him to  _ go home.  _ As if Kyungsoo could just go back to his own apartment and pretend this wasn’t happening. As if Baekhyun’s despair churning in his gut wasn’t trying to keep him rooted in place.

No, if Kyungsoo was going home, it was to figure out his own plan. Alone, like Jongdae wanted him to be.

“The wolves are coming back here, right?” he asked, voice hardly his own. 

Sniffling, Chanyeol nodded. “Yeah, but—“

“Then I’m going to go for a drive.”

“Wh-What? Kyungsoo—“

“I need some time.”

"I'll go with you."

Kyungsoo shook his head. Bracing himself, he turned around in Chanyeol's hold. "I love you, Yeol, but I need to go for a drive and clear my head."

"Soo." Chanyeol's face was mottled with red, eyes filled with thick tears. "Only if you promise not to go to the mansion. Please. Not alone."

That, at least, Kyungsoo could promise. For now. Because he needed a plan, something that wouldn’t simply make things worse for Baekhyun. He held Chanyeol's face. "I promise."

Slowly, Chanyeol nodded. "They're going to kill me for letting you go."

"Tell them I blackmailed you or something."

"You would never."

"No." Kyungsoo let himself be pulled into a hug. "But maybe they don't know that.”

Chanyeol set his mouth in a firm line. “I’m not telling them you blackmailed me.”

“Okay, well.” Kyungsoo huffed and shook his head, dodging away from Chanyeol and going for his bag. He needed to throw on some jeans. Grab a jacket. Wallet and phone. “Tell them whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m going.”  _ I’ll figure it out on my own. _

Even once he was driving away from the hotel, however, he had no idea  _ where _ he was going, or what he was really doing. He just...drove. He took turn after turn until he was completely lost in a sea of unfamiliar buildings.

Then, one caught his eye.

He chewed on his lip, quickly debating whether he should stop. He wasn’t sure how far from the mansion he was; his connection to Baekhyun was weaker than ever, but, well, he’d assumed the gas station was safe. Anywhere in the same town as the pack was going to be a risk. He didn’t know where any of them worked,  _ if  _ any of them worked.

One thing he was confident in, however, was that technology ruled the age.

Mind made up, he pulled into the modest parking lot. Only one car was there, which he hoped was the employee’s. He was grateful now that Chanyeol had shoved his own hoodie at Kyungsoo before he left—Chanyeol really did know Kyungsoo better than he knew himself. Not only would the hood help hide him, the scent would too. Assuming the pack didn’t have Ginger-Bitch on the hunt again, at least.

The door chimed above his head as he entered, and he lowered his hood and approached the exhausted-looking old lady, an Omega it seemed, at the counter with as friendly a smile as he could muster. She perked right up when her eyes landed on him, silver ears on alert. It made him ache for his mate.

“Morning!” she said, briefly waving. “Never seen your handsome face before.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo laughed, trying to push his annoyance down. The lie fell out a little too naturally. “My family’s from here.” Or, maybe that wasn’t a lie. Not really. “I was actually wondering if you keep a newspaper archive of any sort here?”

The woman looked surprised, but then her smile was wide, genuine. She must not get many customers at all. She rounded the counter and gestured for him to follow her as she glanced around the place. He did, wary when she didn’t say anything, not until they were at a nondescript door. “Looking for anything in particular?” she asked, distracted with digging a set of keys from her pocket, and finding the right one.

Kyungsoo clenched his fists in his hoodie pocket. “I guess I just want to learn more about my family. They’re pretty secretive.”

“Hmm. What’s that saying? Curiosity killed the cat?” She led him through the door. The room looked to be storage for a VHS collection, not newspapers. Worry began to creep in when he didn’t see any other doors, but his feet still carried him after her anyway.

“Good thing I’m not a cat, then,” he muttered.

She smiled over her shoulder at him. “Good thing, indeed.” She peeked around him just as he gripped his shoulder, his mating mark starting to throb. But when he turned to look, nothing was there.

Then he faced forward again, and there was an open doorway before him, dark, ominous.

He blinked. “A hidden room?”

The librarian looked up from his shoulder and smiled. “Perhaps your family isn’t the only secretive bunch around here.”

“But wouldn’t you want a newspaper archive like this to be public? So people can learn about their history?”

She beckoned him inside and followed, flipping a switch and flooding the large room in light before closing the bookcase-door behind them. Boxes lined the walls, floor to ceiling. It looked like it was organized by year, which was what Kyungsoo feared would be the case. He didn’t know what years to look in, or if anything would have even made it into the papers when a pack like the Byun-Kim’s likely had control over the media. But he had to check. He had to try. He had to  _ know. _

“This is a collection that I have spent...decades collecting, and nurturing,” the librarian said. It took Kyungsoo a moment to realize she wasn’t answering his question. “All original, first day prints. Even redacted articles. It needs to be protected.”

“From what?”  _ Or who? _

“People with ill intentions,” she said, cryptically, of course. She turned away from him and walked to their left, drawing Kyungsoo’s attention to the desk housing a computer and scanner. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what to say, his focus diverting to how stuffy the secret room was. While the librarian sat down and booted up the computer, Kyungsoo took off Chanyeol’s hoodie, hooking it over his arm until she gave him further instructions.

“Are there a lot of people like that in this town?” he asked as he aimlessly looked around. When she didn’t answer, he glanced back at her. Her palms were flat on the desk, face downturned. She shuddered, like maybe she was crying and Kyungsoo began to panic. “Miss—”

“Sorry,” she said, straightening in her seat. Her fingers began clacking at the keyboard. “I’ve just been a bit under the weather. Comes in waves you know.” But there was no mistaking the way she discreetly rubbed at her eyes. “Anyway.” She smiled at him. “I’m sure there are a lot of people with ill intentions in every town. Nothing wrong with being cautious.”

“No, of course not.” Kyungsoo was nervous again, but before he could debate his escape options, the computer  _ dinged _ and the librarian clapped her hands once.

“I’ve tried to be as thorough as possible in how I’ve catalogued things,” she said. “As you can see, the archive is physically sorted by year. But if you…” She glanced sidelong at him. “...perhaps don’t know what year you’re looking for, you can use this computer and search by name or topic. It’ll pull up an index that tells you every year and month they were mentioned, if at all. Come here.” She beckoned him over. “See, if you were looking for, oh I don’t know, the surname  _ Kim, _ you’d type it here.” She pointed before demonstrating. “Then, wow a common name, but you see it gives you a list of years. Let’s look at...October 2007?”

A whirlwind suddenly, this librarian, she hopped up and rounded the room, fingers scanning the boxes and Kyungsoo watching with wide eyes until she landed on one, pulling it from the shelf and setting it on the table in the middle. Again, she beckoned him over, pointing inside the box. There were tabs, one for each month, with neatly folded newspapers housed between them.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t yet sorted the computer to also point you to an exact week, but it makes things easier, hm?” the librarian said, nose in the box as she pulled out the October stack. She flipped through them while Kyungsoo floundered wordlessly. He felt like he was wasting time and she was making him so nervous. He didn’t know what to  _ do. _ He just wanted his wolves. He just wanted them safe.

The librarian’s voice was softer as she pointed to an article finally. “See?” she asked. “ Week three. Kim.”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “This is a very impressive system you have, ma’am. You did all of this alone?”

She hummed. “Sometimes you never know who you can trust.” Kyungsoo’s stomach churned uncomfortably, but before he could say anything, one of the woman’s ears perked up. “Someone’s coming in,” she said, then smiled apologetically at him. “Do you mind putting this up for me? Please be very careful. I’m sorry. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

“Wha—”

“Feel free to use the scanner! The computer doesn’t save your search or scan history!”

She was gone in a flash. “What the fuck,” Kyungsoo said to the room. After the initial shock of the moment wore off, he sighed. He wasn’t completely convinced she wasn’t going to lock him in there to rot or something—no, no. Kyungsoo tried not to judge. Maybe she was merely overly excited about showing off her archive. He shook his head, tossing Chanyeol’s hoodie down. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but trying to find some kind of dirt on the pack to help Baekhyun and Jongdae get out.

He left the task of putting away the 2007 newspapers and box for later, wanting to dive in to what he needed as quickly as possible. He plopped into the computer chair.  _ Byun, _ he carefully typed in place of Kim. He paused, for just a split second, at the coincidence of her searching Jongdae’s surname, but really, Kim was a common first and last name, so he shook his head and skimmed the list that came up, which was...disappointingly short.

Well, the quicker he was out of there the better, he figured, but he knew it wasn’t a strong start.

He began at the top, an article from 1992, which just turned out to be Baekhyun’s birth announcement. No one needed to know the way Kyungsoo teared up over that. Then it was 1997, then 1999, 2001; they were all articles about Baekhyun’s school achievements. He apparently went to some prestigious private school. Kyungsoo vaguely remembered it being mentioned; Jongdae went too, but he knew they both hated it.

In 2005, the  _ Top Student Achievement _ article was accompanied with a picture of 13 year old Baekhyun holding a trophy, straight-faced and sporting a black eye. Kyungsoo tried not to hurl as his shaky hands carried the paper over to the scanner. He forced back his tears as a copy printed, and carefully, carefully folded the newspaper back how the librarian had it, as if messing it up would actually hurt Baekhyun.

Next was 2007, making Kyungsoo glad he hadn’t put the 2007 box away. It was even October. Weird, he thought. He carefully laid out the October newspapers, frowning when there were five instead of the usual four. But the Byun article distracted him, standing out on the front page of week three. Kyungsoo tried not to physically snarl at it. 

“So this is what Alpha Byun looks like, huh,” he muttered, blood beginning to boil. There wasn’t anything special about the man. He stood there, towering over Baekhyun—who looked  _ miserable _ —with a wide grin on his stupid face, but something about him made Kyungsoo’s skin crawl. Maybe it was merely the knowledge of who he was, or maybe he really did give off violent vibes, even through pictures. Whatever it was, the article was pointless. In fact, it was praising the Alpha, for making a charitable donation of some millions to help the government fund education.

“Ugh.” He pushed the paper away. Of course he wasn’t going to find anything bad about the fucking Alpha in here, anything incriminating.  _ Fuck. _ He plopped into one of the plastic chairs at the table, angry tears returning with a vengeance. He scanned the paper in front of him in a weak attempt to distract himself. The Kim article the librarian had pulled out. He shook his head, gathering it into his hands with the intention of restacking the October papers when something caught his eye.

The publishing date.

It was the same as the one with the Byun article. Third week of October.

Renewed, Kyungsoo laid each out side by side, precariously flipping through each one. Fuck, fuck,  _ fuck. Everything was the same except for the front page story. _ He tossed the Byun version of week three away like the trash it probably was, frantically skimming the article. 

“Oh,” he said, eyes slowing down. “Oh my god.” Bracing his hands against the table, he read through it again, slowly, soaking in every word. “Jongdae…” The name fell as a whisper, and Kyungsoo had to back up before his tears dripped onto the paper.

It was an article about “the Kim parents” of the notorious Byun-Kim pack, found beaten to death and left in a ditch next to their car. There were claw marks marring their chests, and the letter  _ B _ was carved into the palms of their hands. The journalist who wrote the article speculated that it was a Traditionalist killing—likely the Kims had done something to upset the balance of Traditionalism, had tried to take a stand, maybe. Whatever it was, it was clearly homicide, and something needed to be done.

Clearly, nothing ever was.

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to do, grasping for Chanyeol’s hoodie and crying into it. Crying for Jongdae. Kyungsoo didn’t know the exact year Jongdae’s parents had allegedly died in a car crash, but the timeline matched up. Jongdae would’ve been in his mid-teens in either scenario.

_ “Fuck,” _ he sobbed. They couldn’t stay in that pack. Kyungsoo had to get them out.

When he found, in tiny print, a fake obituary for the Kims in the fake newspaper, Kyungsoo carried everything over to the scanner and made copies. He grabbed an empty file folder from the shelf above the computer and stuffed them inside, then made quick work of cleaning up his mess. He didn’t need to look at the last Byun article listed in the computer to know it was probably more Byun the Savior propaganda, so he backed out of his search and slipped Chanyeol’s hoodie over his head.

The door slowly shifted, and the librarian peeked her head through. “Oh—are you already done?”

Kyungsoo turned his head away to discreetly wipe at his face. “I found what I was looking for.”

“Good,” the woman said, and Kyungsoo glanced at her—because she sounded like she really meant it—but she was gone. Just a gap in the doorway in her place.

Drawing his eyebrows together, Kyungsoo glanced around the room one last time. He wasn’t sure how she would feel about him shutting down the computer or messing with any of the equipment, so he left that, but did flip off the light, carefully shutting the bookcase behind him.

She was waiting outside the VHS room for him.

“How much do I owe you, ma’am?” Kyungsoo asked. “I sort of stole one of your folders.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She waved him away and moved to lock the door. “Consider it a...welcome gift. You seem like an honorable man. I hope coming here was worth it.”

“Oh, uh—” Kyungsoo found himself floundering a bit again. This woman was so odd. “I hope I am. And, I think it was. Thank you for giving me access—”

“Of course, of course.”

She trotted back over to her counter, and Kyungsoo awkwardly hovered in place for a moment. “Is there anything I need to....”

“You’re good to go, sweetheart.”

“Okay…” He slowly walked toward the exit, but something stopped him when he was in front of her again. “I’m sorry, what was your name? I can’t believe I never asked.”

She smiled the kind of smile that made Kyungsoo miss his mother. “Everyone just calls me Bibi.”

“Bibi.” Kyungsoo tried his own smile on for size. He wasn’t sure it worked. “Thank you.”

She nodded, and motioned for the door. “Go, go. Put your hood up! It’s getting windy!”

“Yes ma’am.”

He stepped outside, hood up and folder hugged tightly to his chest. He glanced around before he hurried along. It wasn’t windy at all, actually.

It didn’t matter. He was on a mission now, and he knew exactly who he wanted to talk to next.

“I knew you were coming, Kyungsoo, but I hoped I was wrong for the first time in my life.” Seulgi slammed a beer mug onto the counter, lips pulled taut in an angry pout. “That you’d be so stupid to show up to a werewolf bar  _ alone?  _ After last time?”

“It’s three o’clock.”

“Oh, sorry, didn’t realize creeps only operated in a specified timeframe. Where is my brain today?”

Kyungsoo crossed his arms. “You weren’t this snarky last time.”

“You weren’t quite this stupid last time.”

Kyungsoo felt his eye twitch before he sharply pulled a barstool out and sat on it. He jerked his thumb toward the door. “You’re closed. Do you always leave it unlocked when you’re closed?”

“I’m not usually closed right now. I told you I knew you were coming.”

“So you’re protecting me?”

She sighed, and seemed to fall into her old self, or at least, the self Kyungsoo had met on that fateful night. “Someone has to.”

“What are you, Seulgi?” he asked, instead of focusing on the hurt in her words. It only made him think about how from two hours away, he could no longer feel Baekhyun. How Jongdae had left him in bed alone, instead of letting him help.

“An Alpha,” Seulgi answered. She wiped at the counter with a wet towel, long hair falling over her shoulders.

“Seulgi.”

She sighed again and held up one finger for him to wait. He did, drumming his fingers on the counter as she poured two half-glasses of whiskey. Then she joined him, coming from behind the bar and taking a seat next to him. She passed one glass to him, and cupped the other between her palms.

“What, no strawberries and lemons today?” Kyungsoo asked in lieu of the silence. He internally tipped his glass to the old him, who used to enjoy silence more than anything. Baekhyun had effectively changed that.

Seulgi responded first by taking a big swig of her whiskey. “I’ve already set you up with your wolves. No need for flourishes today.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. “Right. Well. How did you know they would like it? Why did you bother? What are you other than an Alpha, et cetera?”

Swirling the whiskey in her glass, she sighed. “I assume you’re aware some wolves are born with gifts? Your friend is a Healer. Even Baekhyun is an Empath.”

“Wait, what—”

“It’s not a secret because he isn’t quite aware of it. I’m sure he thinks the way he feels and senses things is how all wolves do. But he feels things ten times more. I imagine it makes being mated with him incredibly interesting.” She cocked an eyebrow at him, and waited for the information to sink in. Was that why he and Baekhyun felt their bond so much... _ more _ than what Junmyeon and Sehun had suggested? She nodded as if she knew what he was thinking, and continued, “Baekhyun is specially tuned in to peoples’ emotions. I am specially tuned in to peoples’ paths.”

“Their...paths?”

“I’m a Pathfinder. Fate, if you will, tunes me into the paths of people I meet, if they need help. If I have the ability to nudge them in the right direction, I do.”

Kyungsoo refrained from making any  _ so you are psychic!  _ comments and slowly nodded. “So you fed me strawberries and lemons because it’s Baekhyun and Jongdae’s favorite flavors. The whiskey...”

“Enhances your natural scent, but I did it so  _ they  _ would be drawn to  _ you. _ I’ve been tuned into their paths for more than a year, now, Kyungsoo. I knew you were coming long before you walked into my bar with your Omega pal.”

“So you were tuned into their path, not mine?” Seulgi nodded. “Does that mean my path isn’t important?”

“It’s not that it isn’t important, Kyungsoo. It’s incredibly important. You just didn’t need  _ my _ help. You adapt remarkably given your past isolation. You’ve accepted family back into your life, new friends,  _ two _ lovers, all while maintaining your closeness with Chanyeol—”

“It’s a little creepy how much you know about me.”

Seulgi scoffed. “I wish I was as all-knowing as I sound. You underestimate Yixing’s chattiness when he comes in to buy a bottle to take home after work.” Kyungsoo huffed into his next sip. “Kyungsoo. You were meant to end up in that corner with them. You were meant to end up turning their lives upside down.”

Kyungsoo’s stomach sank. “So all of this is my fault.”

“That’s not what I said.” Seulgi set her glass down and rested her palm on Kyungsoo’s arm. “This was meant to happen, to put Baekhyun and Jongdae on the correct path. You were the catalyst they needed. You were led to this bar to  _ fix _ their paths. Moreso than I ever could.”

“All this sounds like...am I meant to stay?”

She squeezed his arm. “Sweetheart, you know the answer to that already. Now’s not the time to get insecure. You’re mated to a wolf in  _ the most _ complex way. The second Baekhyun met you, you were meant to stay for life. His bite, his blood only solidified that.”

Kyungsoo nodded at the counter, sucking in a deep breath. It was a stupid question; he just couldn’t help, for one second, asking it. “Seulgi, what do I do? How do I get Baekhyun out? He’s trapped and Jongdae went back and I—”

“Stop.” Kyungsoo exhaled a shaky breath. “I know you came here for answers, Kyungsoo, but I can only offer reassurance. It doesn’t seem like it, I know, but this is the correct path. This is how you get them out.”

“But I’m not  _ doing _ anything!”

“You are. You’ve done a lot today. All on your own. You’ll go home tonight and research and return to your pack in the morning with everything you’ve found and  _ you will continue on the right path.” _

“I don’t—I don’t have my laptop—”

“I didn’t say your apartment, hon. I said home.”

Kyungsoo knocked the rest of his whiskey back in the hopes it would mask his watery eyes. “What if I take a wrong turn?”

“You have to have faith that you won’t. There were a lot of ways this could’ve gone since you three met. But this was the  _ one _ successful path. You’ve made all the right choices until now. Keep moving forward.”

_ Keep moving forward. _

With Seulgi’s words glaring in his mind, Kyungsoo drove straight to Baekhyun and Jongdae’s apartment.

He climbed the stairs to the third floor in a weak attempt to burn off some restless energy, but instead it was his eyes that burned by the time he rounded on their hallway. His body was going to berate him relentlessly, it seemed; the second he was locked in their apartment, alone, he was going to completely break down. He could feel it.

His feet practically screeched to a halt, however, when he realized someone was sitting on the ground, knees to their chest, head dully thumping the door behind him—Baekhyun and Jongdae’s door.

“S-Seungsoo?” Kyungsoo croaked.

_ “Kyungsoo!” _ Seungsoo jumped up, brushing off his slacks. “There you are.”

“Were you at work?” Kyungsoo shook his head. Not that right question. “What are you doing here? How did you—”

Seungsoo’s frantic expression softened and he stepped forward like closing the distance between them would send Kyungsoo flying. “Chanyeol called me.”

_ “Chanyeol _ called—?”

Seungsoo nodded. Kyungsoo didn’t even know Chanyeol had his number, didn’t think Chanyeol would turn to Seungsoo of all people when they hadn’t even properly met again in present day—

“Kyungsoo, I can see your brain running a thousand miles a minute. Breathe.” Seungsoo’s hands were on his shoulders now, gently squeezing. “If it helps balance the world order a bit, I wasn’t his first call.” When Kyungsoo grunted in question, he continued, “He called friends of yours first. Junmyeon? Sehun? But they’re tied down with work until tomorrow.”

“But why call at all.”

“Soo, he’s worried about you.” Fuck, the tears were closer to the surface. “I have no doubts he would have come and checked on you himself, but from what I understand, you took his only transportation away.”

“Well I, um.” Kyungsoo eased away from Seungsoo’s grasp and moved toward the door, punching in the unlock code on the keypad as fast as possible. “You can tell him I’m fine…I should really—”

A hand on his shoulder again, stopping him from going inside the apartment, but not so firm that it really held him back. “Brother,” Seungsoo said, voice so scarily soft. “He told me about Baekhyun. I’m so sorry. Let me help.”

Kyungsoo almost choked on the sob that forced its way up.  _ “How?” _

“In whatever way I can. Even if it just means—damnit, Kyungsoo. I’m not leaving you alone like this.”

Unable to stop the monster of sorrow crawling up his chest and throat any longer, Kyungsoo wrenched away from his brother and bolted into the apartment, but didn’t slam the door behind him. Seungsoo could do with that whatever he wanted.

He threw himself into the bedroom, his stuff on the floor, and sobbed into his hands as his back slid down the door. Fuck, he was so tired, so mentally-fucking-exhausted, which only seemed to get worse the longer he was so far away from Baekhyun. He almost missed the little feeling in his gut that represented Baekhyun’s presence as much as he missed Baekhyun and Jongdae themselves. Having them by his side.

Fuck.  _ Everything was so screwed up. _

He cried until his sobs turned into weak hiccups, and then blearily peeled himself from the floor and moved to the closet. On autopilot, he changed into one of Baekhyun’s stupid, oversized, but so, so worn out t-shirts, and Jongdae’s unrealistically comfortable pairs of sweatpants; ones with a hole in the right knee that Baekhyun always liked to stick his fingers into.

He couldn’t resist, then, climbing into their bed and pressing his face into their pillows, just for a bit, hugging them close and trying to find even an ounce of comfort in their scents. It just barely helped.

He really only trudged from the room when he smelled food, convinced it was curiosity, or with the intention to scold Seungsoo for using the kitchen and food without permission even though Kyungsoo would never actually do it. He rubbed at his nose self-consciously as he stepped into the living room, but it wasn’t homemade food. It was take-out from a little bistro a few blocks away.

“I, uh,” Seungsoo started, clearly nervous. “I ordered in. I have a big-brother-gut-feeling you haven’t eaten in at least a day, if not two, so I just thought…”

Swallowing his pride, Kyungsoo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Seungsoo, pressing his face against Seungsoo’s neck. “Thanks, Seung.”

“Ah.” Seungsoo sighed and hugged him back. “Anything I can do, brother. I mean that.” Kyungsoo only hugged him tighter. The need for it surprised him.

He gave Seungsoo a change of clothes and they sat on the living room floor to eat, Seungsoo asking gentle questions about everything that had happened. Until Kyungsoo was hugging his knees to his chest, feet tucked under Seungsoo’s thigh, whispering things he felt like he wasn’t allowed to say out loud.

“I just feel so lost, and so...betrayed? It’s not even just that Jongdae left me behind.” He sniffled. “He didn’t even wait to do it to my face.”

Seungsoo rested his hand on Kyungsoo’s knee. “Have you considered that maybe he couldn’t?”

Kyungsoo only sighed.

“I can’t imagine that was easy for him, but I’m sure he only wanted to protect you. If he had waited until you were awake, would you have let him leave? Would he have been able to leave?”

“We-We could’ve worked it out together.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Seungsoo squeezed him. “But maybe he needed to go back alone and with his own plan to avoid more punishment.”

Kyungsoo let his head fall, forehead knocking his knee. “Logic.”

“Logic, brother.” Seungsoo sighed. “Now, let’s clean up and you can show me around Baekhyun’s streaming room so we can get researching.”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“So, in a way, it’s like Iron Man and Doctor Strange?”

Kyungsoo squirmed in Chanyeol’s arms. “What.”

“In the MCU, Doctor Strange sees like, a million timelines, and only  _ one _ is successful in defeating Thanos.” Chanyeol’s fingers twitched against his back in unsurprising excitement. “Even though a bunch of bad stuff had to happen to them in that timeline, like Iron Man sacrificing himself, they defeat Thanos in the end.”

Kyungsoo blinked, annoyed that his eyes were burning. “Um, I guess…”

Yixing sat on the bed behind Kyungsoo, smoothing a hand up and down Kyungsoo’s side. “It may be similar, but it’s not a parallel. No one is sacrificing themselves in this timeline.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Seungsoo firmly said from the corner, keeping a safe distance no doubt, just in case. Kyungsoo knew Chanyeol would never cause a scene. But they hadn’t had a chance to talk privately yet like Seungsoo wanted. They hadn’t slept, having stayed up all night and then driving straight over, but the second they had returned to the hotel, Chanyeol had swept Kyungsoo into his arms and into bed and hadn’t let go. Kyungsoo was forced to explain his previous day that way after a nap, Yixing coming in from work somewhere in the middle. Minseok was using the conference room downstairs to have an online meeting with the people of his firm.

When Minseok finally did come in, Kyungsoo quickly extricated himself from Chanyeol’s octopus limbs and pushed Minseok right back out, barely managing to grab his file folder from his brother on the way out.

“Kyungsoo, what is it—” Minseok tried, but Kyungsoo shook his head, leading Minseok as far away from their hotel room as he could.

When they finally found a nook, next to a noisy ice machine a floor down, Kyungsoo sighed. “I found some stuff,” he quietly said, opening the folder. “Not much. Seungsoo and I researched all night but it’s so hard to find anything solid—”

“I know.” Minseok nodded. “Believe me, I’ve been looking too.”

“I know you have. But I thought...before I went home I stopped by—here.” Kyungsoo pulled the first article, with the picture of child-Baekhyun and his black eye.

“Where did you get this?” Minseok asked, incredulous.

“I-I went to the local library. There’s a newspaper archive that the librarian keeps well-reserved.”

“What?” Minseok turned sharp eyes on him. “I went yesterday evening and she said there was no newspaper archive.”

Kyungsoo slowly hugged his folder to his chest, confusion settling deep. “Um. Maybe it wasn’t the same librarian? She was a wolf—”

“An Omega. Silver hair. Name started with a B.” Minseok shook his head. “She smelled weird and maybe I came off as suspicious, I don’t know. But she definitely told me anything I was looking for would be online by now. I’ve had some people at the office on it since then.”

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to say. It felt like a glitch in the metaphorical Matrix. He had  _ definitely _ gone into a newspaper archive. He had the articles to prove it. “I...don’t know. We can figure that out later. But do you see this picture?”

Minseok sighed. “Yeah, I do. But Kyungsoo, it’s not something that would hold up in court or even blackmail. It’s a kid with a black eye. Suspicious, but could be written off in a million ways, especially by professional cons.”

“You’re...sure it isn’t enough?” Kyungsoo chewed on his lip. He’d sat up in bed last night, and then again in the car, pouring over the other article about the Kims, seeing if his suspicions changed at all. They didn’t. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t want Jongdae to know. Not like this. Not from a newspaper article. But if Minseok knew, Jongdae was certain to find out.

“I’m sure. What’s wrong? What else did you find?” Silently, Kyungsoo pulled the other article from the folder and handed it over. Minseok skimmed through it, eyebrows furrowing deeper and deeper as he read on. “Is this…?” He glanced up at Kyungsoo, but didn’t wait for an answer. He knew. “Fuck.” Minseok’s shoulder hit the wall as his hand covered his mouth. “Oh, fuck. Jongdae.”

“They…” Kyungsoo cleared the gravel from his throat. “They pulled the article and released a fake paper, I think. I don’t know how this copy made it into the archive.”

“I don’t either,” Minseok muttered, shaking his head. “This is a fucking double-edged sword. It could be exactly what we need to bring that pack down, but…”

“It will break Jongdae’s heart.”

“Yeah.” Minseok rubbed his hand down his face. “Don’t tell anyone yet, okay? Especially not Jongdae. I’ll tell him if we use it. I’ll tell him I found it if you want. You...you shouldn’t have to do that.” Kyungsoo could only nod, handing over the folder. “Did you copy the fake article?”

“Yeah. And the fake obituary using all the same names.”

Minseok clapped Kyungsoo’s shoulder, expression solemn as he nodded. “Thank you, Kyungsoo. This helps a ton.”

Kyungsoo hoped so.

“I can’t feel him anymore,” Kyungsoo whispered later, curled up between Chanyeol and Yixing. It had been hours since he’d talked with Minseok, who was now out getting food. Seungsoo was napping in the other bed. Pain filled the emptiness in Kyungsoo’s stomach. “I’m supposed to always be able to, but I can’t…”

“Oh, Soo,” Yixing murmured. “I can’t imagine. I’m so sorry—“

He paused when they heard the lock unclick, and the door open. It would only be Minseok, so Kyungsoo burrowed back down, not interested in food right then.

It was Chanyeol’s quiet, “Soo…?” that forced his head right back up, and then he was scrambling, struggling to sit up and move forward because it was  _ Jongdae.  _ The look on Jongdae’s face though, blank, dead, so  _ not Jongdae,  _ stopped Kyungsoo dead in his tracks, still tangled with Chanyeol.

“J-Jongdae?” he asked, assuming the worst. How could he not when Jongdae looked so—

“I can’t get close enough to get a sense of Baekhyun’s mental state,” Jongdae said. He was staring at the bedside table. “But I can hear his heartbeat. And my brother assures me he’s okay. They’re taking care of him.”

“Taking care of—Jongdae, what—no!“

“Alpha has drained him of his power, so they’ll only hold him for a few more days. To teach him.”

Hot, angry tears immediately spilled down Kyungsoo’s cheeks without remorse. This couldn’t be happening. “Jongdae, listen to what you’re saying!”

Jongdae was lifeless. “It’s for the best. We’d...strayed too far. I can see that now. So you guys should all...go back without me…” 

Seungsoo sat up in bed. Minseok cautiously approached from the doorway, setting the bags of food in his hands down just in time to steady Jongdae when he nearly fell over. Kyungsoo jolted forward in reflex, despite how fucking angry he was, but Yixing wouldn’t let him off the bed, trapping his arms at his sides and holding him tight.

“I’m fine,” Jongdae rasped. “It’s just…” When he stood upright, a single trail of blood dripped from his nose, down his philtrum. “Just stress. Haven’t eaten—“

“What have they done to you?!” Kyungsoo shouted, going blind with tears and rage.

Jongdae wiped his nose. All Kyungsoo could see was the red smearing across his cheek. “Showed me the way,” Jongdae said.

_ “No—“ _

“Forget whatever you’re planning and don’t come after me. It’s done. Go home.”

Without even so much as a  _ glance  _ at Kyungsoo, Jongdae stumbled toward the exit, Minseok helping him. It took both Yixing and Chanyeol to hold Kyungsoo back, to keep him from chasing him. He didn’t  _ fucking _ understand. 

Seungsoo was in front of him, blocking his view. Kyungsoo shouted. He needed answers.  _ It’s done, _ Jongdae’s voice kept saying in his head. Did that include Kyungsoo? Their relationship? What was he supposed to do? How could he be expected to just forget they were in danger? That they needed help? Baekhyun was his  _ soulmate. _ Regardless of what exactly Jongdae meant, Kyungsoo couldn't let any of it go.

He broke down in Chanyeol's arms, unable to hear anything any of them were saying. He was so fucking furious with Jongdae, but  _ needed _ to make sure he was okay. He was bleeding, he was weak. Kyungsoo wanted to know what that pack had done to his wolves. He wanted to  _ help. _

"No one's leaving," someone kept saying, over and over in Kyungsoo's ear. "We're not leaving them behind. Calm down.  _ Breathe." _

Soon after, everything went dark.


	16. Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected ally makes themselves known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 4.8k

Voices whispered around him. That was what hit him first, before the smell of coffee wafting toward him. For a split second, it felt like everything had only been a nightmare. But Jongdae’s blank face and avoiding eyes were at the forefront of his mind before he could question it. He slowly blinked around his dry eyes and looked to see Junmyeon and Sehun standing near the short hallway to the door, quietly conversing with Chanyeol.

Sehun saw him first, hand stopping midair in an aborted wave. Kyungsoo just waved back, but something on his face must have showcased the annihilation he’d suffered the night before, because the second Junmyeon looked at him, he rushed over and engulfed Kyungsoo in a hug, climbing right onto the bed with him.

“Oh, Soo, I know it doesn’t help, but I’m so sorry.”

Kyungsoo didn’t sob. He didn’t break down like the night before, before everything went dark, but he couldn’t help but cling, hands clasped in Junmyeon’s jacket, silent tears leaking down his neck. 

“I didn’t know you were coming,” was all Kyungsoo could manage to whisper.

“Of course we were coming. I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. It didn’t matter.

He was eventually coaxed from Junmyeon’s arms with coffee and breakfast sandwiches by Seungsoo, who Kyungsoo hadn’t even realized was on the bed with him. They made proper room for Junmyeon, and Chanyeol and Sehun settled on the other bed.

“Where are Yixing and Minseok?” Kyungsoo rasped; it turned out last night had left him with little to no voice.

“Minseok booked another room, since our numbers seem to be adding up,” Chanyeol murmured into his coffee. “So everyone can have a bed.”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo was relieved that no one planned on leaving.

“Yixing took one of the cars to go make a few house calls for his patients back home,” Chanyeol continued. “I think he wanted to give you some time, too…”

“Me?” Kyungsoo automatically pressed into Seungsoo’s hand when it squeezed his shoulder. “Why?”

Chanyeol chewed on his lip,  _ nervous, _ but before Kyungsoo could question it, Seungsoo answered, “Yixing panicked a bit.” Kyungsoo turned to look at him. “You weren’t in good shape. Inconsolable, no matter what we said or did.” Seungsoo sighed. “He shooed me out of the room and burned some kind of herb. A sedative. It eventually put you to sleep. Only works on humans I guess.”

“It’s a special strand of lavender,” Chanyeol offered, still talking nervously into his coffee, ears flat on his head. “He’s really, really sorry, Soo.”

“It’s...okay…” Kyungsoo tried, if only so Chanyeol would stop looking so sad or scared. He wasn’t sure how to process information like that, especially when his immediate reaction wasn’t a reaction at all. Was he supposed to feel so lifeless about something like that? “Really, Yeol,” he said when Chanyeol didn’t perk up. “I get it.”

Chanyeol nodded, tail twitching behind him. Kyungsoo sighed.

Since neither Kyungsoo nor Chanyeol were up for it, Seungsoo filled Junmyeon and Sehun in on what had happened the night before, talking quietly when he mentioned Jongdae as if Kyungsoo would break. Maybe he would.

“Was he stripped of his powers?” Sehun asked when Seungsoo mentioned the nosebleed.

Minseok shook his head before sipping from Chanyeol’s coffee. He’d just walked in, ruffled and dead-eyed like the rest of them.. “Definitely not,” he said. “Even if I hadn’t been able to smell it, I have the claw marks from him holding onto me to prove it.”

Sehun hummed, otherwise not answering. He exchanged a quick look with Junmyeon, and then changed the subject. “Are we sure Baekhyun has been stripped?”

Chanyeol shot Kyungsoo a sad look. “Kyungsoo can’t feel him anymore.”

Junmyeon seemed more aghast at this. “Even with him so close? In the same town?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “I lost him sometime yesterday.”

Junmyeon took his hand. “I can’t even imagine, Soo. I’m so sorry.”

“Is it...that bad?” Minseok asked Junmyeon. “No offense, but you’re human.”

Junmyeon nodded. “I’ve never been disconnected from Sehun, so I don’t...the bond is much stronger right after exchanging blood, but being able to feel each other never goes away. Feeling Sehun is...a comfort. Like a security blanket. It’s not invasive, like people try to say it is. It’s just...a gentle tug at a string tying you together. A reminder that your other half is there. I’ve never...since bonding I’ve never not felt it. I can’t imagine. Especially right after bonding. It’s only supposed to go away if one of you—”

Sehun cut in. “We should all keep an eye on Kyungsoo. Separating from Baekhyun so soon after the bond may have negative effects. I’m not sure, but we should be cautious.”

“You think he’ll get sick?” Seungsoo asked.

“Probably not. But the bond is fresh, and wants to be...pampered, so to speak. I’d guess headaches at best, fatigue at worst.” Kyungsoo tried not to snort. What was that compared to what he already felt? “But with Soo not being able to feel Baekhyun...it might be different. I don’t know. This is all new.”

“None of it matters!” Kyungsoo snapped. “So what if I get sick? It can’t possibly be worse than whatever they’re doing to Baekhyun. We have to get him out.”

“Kyungsoo.” Minseok sighed. “Jongdae said—”

“I don’t care what Jongdae said! They clearly did something to him too. If he wants to take his family’s side, then fuck him.”

Junmyeon squeezed his hand. “Sweetheart, you don’t mean that.”

“Maybe he has his own plan, Soo,” Minseok said, stiff.

“I don’t care. I told him not to leave me out. Baekhyun is my—he can’t just leave me out. I’ll get Baekhyun myself.”

“You sound like a child.” Seungsoo held Kyungsoo back from lurching. “Besides, that’s way too dangerous. This isn’t a typical pack. It’s two large, powerful families. Powerful families who likely have your scent and will be expecting you.”

“And? What the fuck would they do to me?”

“Kyungsoo. They captured their own son, and are attempting to brainwash him. What the fuck do you think they’ll do to an outsider threatening the sanctity of their precious pureblood pack?”

Junmyeon’s sigh cut through the air like a knife. “I’ll go,” he said.

Everyone turned to him. “What?” Kyungsoo asked.

“They don’t know me, and I’m not a wolf, so me trespassing could pass as an honest mistake. Maybe I can find a back way in?”

Sehun frowned. “If any of them get close enough, they might be able to sense your bond. Depends on if they know how to pick it out.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Junmyeon shook his head. “I’m the best shot here. Even if I can just get intel on the house.”

Minseok crossed his arms. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Kyungsoo didn’t hesitate to round on him. “Do you know something we don’t?”

“No.”

“You have an awful lot of trust in Jongdae, considering he just—he couldn’t even look at me—”

Minseok softened, a little, but didn’t give up his defensive stance. “I’ve known him since we were kids. I trust him. He would never accept what’s happening.”

“Unless his family got to him.”

“He would never let them. You know that!”

“I don’t know anything anymore.”

Seungsoo rubbed Kyungsoo’s back, hesitant as he said, “Let’s...Let’s make a plan. It doesn’t mean we’ll act. But maybe we should take Junmyeon here up on his offer to gather intel. Give us an advantage. Just in case.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok begrudgingly agreed.

Junmyeon went later that day.

It took coaxing, on Yixing and Chanyeol’s part, and downright frustration and pushiness on Kyungsoo’s, but they finally convinced Minseok to spill the mansion’s address. Well, only to Junmyeon and Sehun, since Minseok planned to lead them there himself.

There wasn’t much to the plan other than  _ figure out what you can, Junmyeon. Any insight will help.  _ Sehun and Minseok would remain in a car a couple of blocks away, Sehun on the phone with Junmyeon, who would take another car forward, and Minseok with Yixing so everyone at the hotel could keep up.

Yixing was still tiptoeing around Kyungsoo, even after personally apologizing for knocking Kyungsoo out, but he stopped when he noticed Kyungsoo rubbing his shoulder.

“Is your bite bothering you, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “It was throbbing before. It itches right now.”

“It’s been too long since I’ve checked it,” Yixing said, instantly fretting and going for his kit. “Everything has been so chaotic.” He softened under a gentle touch from Chanyeol, but didn’t stop his newfound mission. He set his kit on the bed in front of Kyungsoo and Yixing’s phone. Kyungsoo went back to staring at it, waiting for the call, uncaring to Yixing’s ministrations as he took Kyungsoo’s shirt off and peeled the bandages up.

"Oh, wow, Soo," Seungsoo said next to him. "That looks...intense..."

"Squeamish, Seung?" Kyungsoo muttered.

Seungsoo cleared his throat. "Only a little. Mostly amazed my little brother took a bite like that and survived."

"Ah, Kyungsoo..." Yixing said, cutting through the conversation. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"About the throbbing? I figured it was because of what Baekhyun is going through. It stopped when I lost him yesterday."

"It's infected, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo glanced at him, frowning. "It was almost healed. How is that possible?"

Chanyeol walked up, a hand soothingly sinking into Kyungsoo's hair as he crowded him and peered over his head. "Oh, shit. Xing, it's opening back up?"

"Yeah..." Yixing murmured, drizzling saline over the wound. Kyungsoo hissed. "We'll let it get some air after I clean it up. I'd like Sehun to look at it and see what he thinks."

"Sehun's not a doctor, babe," Chanyeol said.

Yixing huffed, glancing up at him. "I know, Yeollie. But he knows a lot about the whole Spirit Bond thing. He said we should keep an eye on Kyungsoo. I'd just like his opinion is all."

"You think it's opening back up because I'm separated from Baekhyun?" Kyungsoo quietly asked.

Yixing nodded. "It's the only logical possibility right now, if you can call it that. Almost-healed wounds don't just open back up like this."

Kyungsoo craned his neck, doing his best to see. He could only catch the very end of the bite, but it was enough to tell the healing  _ had _ regressed. It looked like it had maybe 24 hours after Baekhyun bit him. The punctures weren't gaping, but they weren't even scabbed over. Everything had a green tint, as well. Kyungsoo had to turn away. It was just a physical representation of the hell they were going through.

Luckily, the phone rang.

Kyungsoo quickly answered, putting it on speaker. "Minseok," he said.

_ “Sehun and I are parked. Around where I think you guys picked Jongdae up. Junmyeon’s on his way up there.” _

_ “Myeonnie’s going to Facetime me and hold the phone at his side to try and get what he can,” _ Sehun said.  _ “I’ll screenrecord so you all can see it when we get back.” _

_ “It’ll be best if we all stay as quiet as possible,” _ Minseok added.  _ “Just in case anyone sneaks up on him. We don’t want them to hear that Junmyeon has multiple people on the line.” _

_ “He’s calling,” _ Sehun said, and a solemn haze fell over them all. Kyungsoo glanced at the others, who were looking around too. This was a risk, and they could all feel it now.

It was eerily silent for a couple of minutes, nothing but the rustling of someone moving, in the hotel, car, or outside. Dogs barking. It was grueling.

Chanyeol clapped a hand over his mouth when an unfamiliar voice crackled through the multiple receptions.

_ “Can I help you?” _ it seemed to ask.

Junmyeon answered,  _ “Ah, gods, I’m sorry. I think I have the wrong house?” _

_ “Who exactly are you looking for, huh?” _

_ “The Smith Mansion,” _ Junmyeon answered easily. Kyungsoo frowned. Was that a real place?  _ “I got all turned around and my phone’s freaking out.” _

_ “Ah. Yes. We think the neighbor’s have installed a jammer. Reception gets patchy around here.”  _ A beat. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths.  _ “The Smith Mansion is further down. Just before the cul de sac.” _

_ “Thank you so much!” _

_ “Of course. Be careful wandering around some of these properties. Some shady folks, y’know.” _

_ “Oh, yes. Won’t happen again. Thank you for your kindness! Have a wonderful day.” _

Kyungsoo didn’t realize his hand was in Seungsoo’s until Seungsoo squeezed it. Kyungsoo didn’t know what he would do if Junmyeon didn’t get out of there one hundred percent safely. He just hoped he wasn’t exaggerating when he’d explained to everyone he’d gotten good at controlling his heartbeat, with Sehun’s help.

If Kyungsoo thought those first couple of minutes were grueling, it was nothing compared to the next few. He was fairly certain he and Seungsoo were cutting off each other’s circulation, and Yixing hadn’t even finished cleaning up Kyungsoo’s shoulder, distracted by the call.

_ “Minseok,” _ Junmyeon’s voice softly sliced through the silence.  _ “Can you drive by and see if anyone’s still outside. I’m trapped at a dead end.” _

_ “Yeah. Hold on.” _

More waiting. The anxiety made Kyungsoo’s stomach turn.

_ “You’re good, Myeonnie,” _ Sehun murmured.  _ “We’re gonna turn down the last street before the curve. Follow us out that way.” _

_ “Okay.” _

After about another minute of silence, Sehun said,  _ “The property is massive. There’s an obnoxious metal fence around the entire thing. But the gate looked locked.” _

_ “It wasn’t,” _ Junmyeon said.  _ “It’s the first thing I tried. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be some other time.” _

_ “That looked to be about it, though,”  _ Sehun continued.  _ “I mean, it was a mansion. Unassuming from the outside.” _

_ “That’s what they want you to think,” _ Minseok muttered.

Junmyeon said,  _ “The gate led directly to the backyard. Might be a way in.” _

Everyone stayed on the phone up until the second Sehun, Junmyeon, and Minseok were walking into the hotel room. Kyungsoo figured everyone felt more comfortable that way, to know everyone was safe.

Kyungsoo was immediately under the microscope; Yixing had finished cleaning his bite just in time for Sehun to look at it, which then turned into Junmyeon as well, and then they were Facetiming their Paris friends, Taemin and Jongin, who met everyone with ruffled hair and sleepy smiles.

_ “It’s crazy,” _ the blond one, Taemin, Alpha, was saying,  _ “because we literally just traveled to Thailand to meet another pair like us. Nini, they showed us pictures, right? Ten’s bite looked just like this.” _

Jongin came into frame, his hair bouncing lazily as he nodded.  _ “His partner is Lucas. He lives back and forth between Thailand and China. After they mated, he had to fly to China for one day for something family-related, I think. But he got into an accident and got stuck there. Ten couldn’t fly in because of work. By the time they reunited, both of their bite marks were infected.” _

Taemin nodded too.  _ “We’ve always said, even with wolf slash wolf matings, that mating bonds need to be nurtured, for one to two weeks. I think it’s even more true of wolf and human pairs.” _

Sehun hummed. “I bet the marks need to heal completely. We’ve never looked at it quite like that. It’s always just been that one to two week timeframe.”

The sound of frantic scrawling filled the following silence, and everyone turned to see Yixing scribbling into a notebook. He barely glanced up at them. “I’ve been writing everything down,” he murmured. “As it happens. We should have records of this kind of thing.”

_ “I agree,” _ Taemin said.  _ “We’ve been keeping records, but if we visit Junmyeonnie and Sehunnie anytime soon, we’d love to combine forces.” _

“How extensive are your records?” Minseok asked.

_ “Very. This is what we do now. Ever since we met Junmyeon and Sehun, we realized there had to be many more like us out there. We’d only met one couple before them. Now we search for them. Reach out. We visit and record their stories if they allow us.” _

“They want to officially release everything, some day,” Junmyeon explained, hand rubbing Kyungsoo’s back. “Maybe one day we can all speak about this openly without getting laughed at.”

“How many couples have you found?” Chanyeol asked.

_ “Ten, including Kyungsoo and Baekhyun,” _ Jongin answered with a bright smile.

_ “And we’re in contact with another potential couple as well,” _ Taemin said.

“Wow,” Kyungsoo murmured. Ten couples. Twenty other people like him and Baekhyun.

“I know,” Junmyeon gently said in his ear, hugging him.

A knock on the door pushed them all on their feet in a blink, glancing around like they were all accounting for each other. Who else could it have been but Jongdae? Everyone else was there. Kyungsoo rushed forward, but Minseok grabbed his arm to stop him, eyes on the door. “That’s not Jongdae, Soo.” Minseok glanced at Sehun, who nodded and quickly hung up with Taemin and Jongin before going to the door with him, leaving Kyungsoo behind, guarded by Chanyeol and Yixing.

“Can I please come in?” a soft voice asked when they opened the door. Kyungsoo couldn’t see who it was, but he didn’t recognize the voice. “Please. I don’t know if I was followed.”

The statement brings the tension from earlier right back, everyone shifting uncomfortably as a werewolf came into view, towed by Minseok and Sehun. He dipped his head in submission to the room, it seemed, and Minseok and Sehun rounded him to stand in front of the others.

“Who are you?” Sehun asked, voice stern.

It only made the wolf’s brown ears flatten on his head more, tail stiff between his legs. Kyungsoo didn’t know him, yet there was something strangely familiar about him. The wolf didn’t answer directly, instead averting his gaze right to Kyungsoo, eyes flicking to the bite on his shoulder. 

“You must be my brother’s other mate,” he said to Kyungsoo, an almost sad smile on curly lips. Oh. Wait...

“Brother…”

“I’m Jongdeok. Jongdae’s older brother. Omega.”

“What are you doing here?” Minseok immediately asked, and Kyungsoo didn’t miss the way everyone in the room shifted to be just a little bit more between himself and Jongdeok.

“I’m here to offer the little help I can manage. To help Baekhyun—and my brother—escape.”

“Aren’t you the brother who hasn’t spoken to Baekhyun in years because he and Jongdae were honest with you bastards?”

Chanyeol took Kyungsoo’s hand. “And the one who distracted Jongdae so Baekhyun could be captured?”

Jongdeok looked...crestfallen. “I...know what you must think of me. What Baekhyun must think. I had to pretend, in order to figure out how to free them from our pack.” Looking at Junmyeon, he added, “You’re not the only one who has learned how to control his heartbeat.” He turned back to Kyungsoo, “I admit at times I...believed in our pack’s movement. Even when I knew they needed out, sometimes it was hard to remember…”

“You were brainwashed. All of you,” Yixing said.

“I suppose so. Either way, I’d forgotten again. I...I did help them capture Baekhyun and I’ve never regretted something so much. It wasn’t until Jongdae started coughing up blood that I was snapped out of it.”

Kyungsoo’s heart dropped straight through the floor. “Until he started  _ what?” _

Jongdeok nodded. “It wasn’t hard to piece together. The old tales. I read them in the darkest corners of the library when I was a kid. I’ve never met people as inseparable as my brother and Baekhyun. They probably haven’t spent more than a day apart since Jongdae was born.”

“They’re soulmates,” Sehun said, matter-of-fact. “I thought so.”

Kyungsoo jerked his head to look at him.  _ “What?” _

Sehun nodded. “Wolves don’t just up and get nosebleeds. It’s either, impact from a fight, being drained of powers and essentially becoming human, or being separated from an unbonded soulmate, as far as we know at least.”

“Baekhyun and I never coughed up blood—”

Sehun smoothly cut him off. “Junmyeon and I grew up together. Inseparable, just like Jongdae and Baekhyun. We found out we were soulmates the first time Junmyeon flew to Paris. We’ve told you that. I was set to meet him there, but I had to help take care of my family for the first few days.”

Junmyeon spoke up, “I mentioned I fainted at the Eiffel Tower. But he had such a nasty, bloody coughing fit that they emergency landed the plane he was on.”

“From what we’ve learned,” Sehun said, “the separation symptoms are much, much worse the longer you don’t complete the bond. But if you’ve never spent much time apart, you’d never even know.”

“But…” Kyungsoo shook his head at the ground, eyebrows pulled together. “But Jongdae went on that trip. With you guys. You came back early because…”

Yixing slowly finished it for him, “...because Baekhyun’s rut was triggered early. We assumed it was stress, but...”

“Oh, interesting.” Sehun hummed. “Could be his wolf’s desperate attempt to bring Jongdae back?” He asked Junmyeon, who shrugged and nodded.

“But Jongdae didn’t...he didn’t get sick,” Kyungsoo said. “He was gone for two days.”

“Oh.” Minseok froze and the entire room turned to him. “Oh. He...did. He hid it. I remember—I forgot...I saw him. I thought I saw him throwing away a bloody tissue, but before I could ask about it, Baekhyun was calling about his rut.”

Kyungsoo fell on his butt, luckily landing on the edge of the bed, hand hanging in the air where it still clung to Chanyeol’s. “It happened at the same time.” He looked at Jongdeok. “Does Jongdae know?”

“I think he does now. But this is why I’ve risked coming here. Jongdae’s not allowed to see Baekhyun, but the longer they’re apart, the worse Jongdae is getting. He won’t be able to keep pretending much longer.”

Kyungsoo’s breath stuttered. “Pretending...?”

“Yes,” Jongdeok said. “I’ve been communicating with him secretly since I walked in on him cleaning blood from the sink. He came back on his own that first time, with the plan to pretend, but I’ve been helping him, getting intel from the areas of the house he’s no longer allowed in. I was allowed in the basement for the first time last night.”

Kyungsoo lurched forward, everything else forgotten for one moment.  _ “Baekhyun. _ How is Baekhyun?”

Jongdeok visibly hesitated. “He’s in as bad of shape as you would expect. He’s been put through the ringer. Powers drained, separated from his new bond, separated from a second, unbonded soulmate, and he still refuses to cooperate with his father, which...doesn’t go unpunished. He’s really sick.”

Chanyeol shifted on his feet before sitting next to Kyungsoo. He muttered, “Well don’t sugarcoat it,” before wrapping himself around a teary-eyed Kyungsoo right after.

Jongdeok stared at his feet in what could only be described as shame.  _ Good, _ Kyungsoo thought. “I have a plan,” Jongdeok was saying. “But the wolves are going to have to let you be part of it.”

Soo didn’t hesitate. “What do you need from me?”

“To be there. I’m not sure Baekhyun will have the strength to get out without both you and Jongdae there.”

The room tensed. “We can’t possibly put a human in that kind of danger,” Minseok said.

“Well,” Jongdeok said with a sigh. “If the rest of my plan works, no one will even know he’s there until it’s too late.”

“What’s the rest of your plan?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Do you know what holds a pack together?”

Kyungsoo tilted his head, wracking his brain, but it was Sehun that spoke up with narrowed eyes. “An artifact.”

“An artifact...?”

“An heirloom,” Jongdeok added.  _ Oh. _

“Oh, yeah, Jongdae and Baek have mentioned it.”

Jongdeok nodded. “Every pack has a sacred heirloom. It can be anything really. Preferably something that blends in with regular house decor so that it can’t be used against us.”

“So....”

“You know there’s a blood ritual with the heirloom, right?” Everyone nodded. “Every member of the pack offers their blood to it when recruited, or born. It’s what makes us a pack. It’s what makes a group a pack. It...holds our power in a way.”

“I think what Jongdeok is getting at,” Sehun said, “is that breaking the heirloom releases the pack members.”

“Exactly,” Jongdeok agreed. “But it also returns our natural power to us. Not only would Baekhyun receive the power that was just drained from him, but he would regain what was taken from him when he and Jongdae confessed they were in love with each other.”

Kyungsoo felt his mouth drop open in surprise, but he seemed to be the only one. “Baekhyun hasn’t been at his full strength this entire time I’ve known him?”

Quietly, sadly, Minseok said, “He was half-drained as a warning. He’s had less strength than a typical Omega ever since. It’s why you’ve never seen him without his ears and tail.”

“And also why Jongdae let you within a mile of him alone while he was in rut,” Yixing added. “If he’d been at full strength, you might not have survived without Jongdae there to moderate.”

“Humans can be part of a rut,” Kyungsoo muttered on autopilot. “I’ve looked into it—”

Minseok shook his head. “Unexpected or early ruts are always a little more feral. You know that. It would’ve been dangerous at best. Especially considering he bit you.”

Chanyeol huffed out a breath. “I guess I could always tell? But this does explain a lot. I’ve never once felt compelled to call him Alpha, like I have Jongdae. I never fully understood, but I assumed Jongdae was...the Alpha of Alphas, I dunno.”

Jongdeok actually smiled, something reminiscent. It looked foreign on his face. “Baek used to be way more powerful, actually. It surprised everyone. We all used to call him the runt of the litter, yet he was the most powerful in the pack after his father.”

“Which I’m assuming is why he’s treated so harshly,” Sehun said.

“Yes. His natural power makes him the obvious choice to take over when his father steps down. Or before, if Baekhyun had chosen. When he confessed he was in love with a male Alpha, and not some pretty little female Omega he could impregnate, his father couldn’t handle the disappointment. He’s been on a power trip ever since. He’s stronger than ever because he takes everyone else’s power, little by little.”

Kyungsoo sagged into Chanyeol. “Fuck. How do we even—”

“The heirloom, Kyungsoo,” Jongdeok said. “If I break it, it will cause  _ chaos. _ It will provide a distraction to help Baekhyun escape, and weaken Alpha just in case the worst happens.”

“What...exactly would the worst be?” Seungsoo asked.

Jongdeok’s expression darkened. “Him finding out.”

Minseok scoffed. “Yeah, and how exactly do we keep that from happening? We can’t just waltz into a mansion full of Traditional wolves.”

“No, but you can waltz into the backyard entrance into the basement.”

“...That seems like an oversight for evil werewolves.”

Jongdeok shrugged. “Not if you’re doing your best to look innocent to the rest of the world.”

Minseok conceded. “Touche.”

“The cellar doors stay locked,” Jongdeok explained, “but I’ll make sure to accidentally lose the key somewhere you can find it.” A tiny thump drew the room’s attention to the key suddenly next to Jongdeok’s feet on the floor. “Jongdae and Baekhyun’s mother will take care of unlocking Baekhyun’s chains, so you won’t have to worry about that.”

Kyungsoo’s stomach sank. “Chains…” Chanyeol’s hold on him tightened and Kyungsoo tried to shake the devastation. “H-His mother wants to help?” Baekhyun admittedly didn’t talk about her much, but Kyungsoo knew Baekhyun missed her on good days.

“She has always pretended a little differently than me. She always stood next to Alpha proudly when Jongdae and Baekhyun were around, but behind closed doors...she has spent a lot of time begging to free them from the pack. I think she didn’t want to offer them false hope.”

Minseok leaned forward. “But she’s going to help?”

“Yes. Getting on and off the property undetected is going to be the most difficult part, but I think the heirloom breaking will be plenty a distraction. The best plan, I think, is for whatever wolves that want to accompany Kyungsoo to wait at the edge of the fence.”

Chanyeol jumped to his feet, yanking Kyungsoo’s hand with him. “I’m not letting him walk into the  _ literal  _ wolves’ den alone.”

Jongdeok smiled, placating. “You’ll have eyes on him the entire time. The second he gets those doors open, he’ll be met by Jongdae and Baekhyun’s mother. This is the safest plan. The less unfamiliar scents that enter the territory, the better. The less wolves, the better, especially. You’ll stink up the place much quicker than just a human will.”

“How do we know this isn’t a trap to capture Kyungsoo?” Sehun asked. “You’ve already admitted to being good at disguising your heartbeat.”

“You don’t.” The tension was so thick Kyungsoo could hardly breathe. But he knew, he knew in his heart this was the only way. He was doing this, whether the others approved or not. Jongdeok nodded. “You’re just going to have to trust that I’m doing what I should’ve done years ago, to protect my brothers.”


	17. Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo and co. enact their plan to save Baekhyun and Jongdae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 4.1k

The plan was simple enough. Seungsoo and Junmyeon would wait in the two cars they would take with them, a couple of blocks away. Sehun, Chanyeol, and Yixing would help Kyungsoo sneak in along the edge of the property. They’d enter the side gate Junmyeon had tested before, which Jongdeok would make sure was unlocked, skirt along the edge of the fence and hide in the shadows until receiving a signal from Jongdeok. Then, Kyungsoo would unlock the cellar doors, free his wolves, and they would escape the same way they’d come in. Simple.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

“It’s a sign,” Chanyeol whined, heard around the thudding in Kyungsoo’s head. “We shouldn’t be doing this! He shouldn’t!”

“Baby, we don’t really have a choice. Jongdeok said not to contact him until we were on our way.”

More whining. Kyungsoo tried to pick his head up, but it was so heavy, and hurt  _ so badly. _

“Hey, Kyungsoo, come on.” Hands grabbed at him, helping him sit up. He let his head thunk against the headboard, his own hands moving to press against his forehead to attempt to alleviate some of the pressure.

“Time’s it?” he asked.

“Like six in the morning,” Sehun groaned from the other bed.

“Fever?”

“Yeah, Soo. Your infection.” That was Yixing. Probably who was taking a seat next to him, too. By now, Kyungsoo should’ve been able to recognize exactly what Yixing sitting on the bed felt like, after everything. “Open up.”

He obeyed, if only because he didn’t have the energy to argue. Water was tipped into his mouth and spilled down his chin, but he drank what he could. In fact, the water felt fantastic on his skin.

“Cold shower,” he muttered. Nothing sounded better than that.

“As soon as you get some food and medicine in you, I promise.”

Kyungsoo sighed, but nodded.

Whatever it took to rescue Baekhyun tonight.

When he next blinked his eyes open, he jolted upright, but his hand flew to his forehead when painful thudding and nausea accompanied the movement. He took one deep breath, two, then slowly removed his hand and opened his eyes again. Junmyeon and Sehun were sitting across from him on the other bed, laptop shared on their laps and sympathetic smiles on their faces. He could hear the sink running in the bathroom, and a hand slowly rubbing his back alerted him to a sleepy Chanyeol and passed out Yixing on the bed behind him.

He let out a sigh of relief. They hadn’t left him behind.

“How do you feel, Soo?” Junmyeon asked. “Can we get you anything?”

“Head hurts. I’ll just get some water.”

Sehun furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, handing their laptop fully to Junmyeon. “Sit. Let me.”

Chanyeol grabbing onto his arm left him no choice, so he sighed and turned so he could rest back against the wall and pillows, Chanyeol dutifully fluffing them up for him. Sehun returned from rummaging around the suite with a water bottle, vitamin powder, medicine, and a bag of food. Jesus. He handed them over, then kneeled next to the bed.

“No one is leaving you behind this time. I promise,” he murmured, expression fierce, honest. “But you need as much strength as possible. It’s only noon, so have all of this and let the medicine put you back to sleep and do its work.” 

Kyungsoo only stared at him for a moment, contemplating. Worried. The medicine this morning had put him to sleep, then. Had he even gotten to take the cold shower he wanted? How could he trust that he wouldn’t just sleep through the entire operation when Baekhyun needed him?

Sehun hooked a finger under Kyungsoo’s chin, stealing his attention.  _ “I will not let them leave you.” _

Kyungsoo’s fingers crumpled the bottle and bag in his hand and he nodded down at them, annoyed at the emotion welling within him. “Thanks, Sehun.”

Sehun nodded and went back to Junmyeon, while Chanyeol nestled his head on Kyungsoo’s thigh. It was hard to imagine going back to sleep when all he wanted to do was save Baekhyun as quickly as possible, but as soon as Kyungsoo laid his head back down, that’s exactly what the medicine made him do.

“Oh,  _ now _ you’re letting me take a cold shower?” Kyungsoo muttered when Yixing shoved him into the bathroom that evening. There were only two hours until their plan would be put into action, and the buzz of nervousness among them was palpable, even to the humans. But according to Yixing, his top priority until then was getting Kyungsoo’s fever and symptoms in check, at least long enough to help Baekhyun.

“I promised, didn’t I?” Yixing asked, and at Kyungsoo’s flat look, he sheepishly smiled. “I said after food and medicine. Is that a lie?” Kyungsoo grunted, taking his shirt off and not even flinching when Yixing went for the bandage on his shoulder. “I want to try and time this so that your symptoms are minimized by the time you’re unlocking that basement. Cold shower now, food, vitamins, non-drowsy medicine in this first hour. By the time we get to the mansion the medicine should kick in.”

Kyungsoo chewed on his cheek while Yixing tossed the bandages, and stopped him before he left Kyungsoo alone. “Hey, Xing?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Everything. But also for not leaving me out this time.”

Yixing sighed, coming back into the room and hugging Kyungsoo tightly. “I’m still very sorry about that. But we’re in this together, yeah? We’re going to get them out of there. No matter what.”

Kyungsoo nodded, and was left to take his cold shower in silence.

When he walked out, he stepped into the eye of a storm.

The calm was eerie. There were food and drinks spread out on the floor between the beds and Kyungsoo was wordlessly gestured over. Chanyeol stepped into the bathroom. Junmyeon and Yixing were huddled over Junmyeon’s laptop. Sehun narrowed his eyes at the door from where he sat next to Seungsoo.

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

Everyone turned together, and then the storm hit.

_ “Police. Open up.” _

They all jumped up, moving to the center of the room. Someone grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the door.

_ “Police! Open up!” _

Chanyeol scrambled out of the bathroom, wide-eyed and panicked, beelining for them. “Xing,” he whispered, frightened. Yixing pulled him close, strangely stoic when Kyungsoo glanced at him.

Sehun went for the door, clearing his throat before opening it. “How can we help you, officers?”

“We have an arrest warrant for Yixing Zhang—” 

_ “No!” _

“We were informed he was staying in this room. Is he present?”

Kyungsoo’s stomach dropped through the floor. Hesitantly, Sehun peered back at them, and when Kyungsoo gaped at Yixing, he nodded. Sehun stepped aside to let the officers in.

“Yeollie,” Yixing said, whipping around to face him. He grabbed Chanyeol’s face, which was already soaked with tears. Kyungsoo’s already tattered heart tore into a million more pieces. “Stay strong for me, okay? Take care of Kyungsoo and make sure he can save Baekhyun.”

_ “Xing,” _ Chanyeol cried. “No, Xing, they can’t take you—”

“Oh, my baby. I’ll be okay. I promise. Cry if you need to, but pull yourself together for our little pack.” Yixing pressed upward, making himself tall enough to chastely kiss Chanyeol’s lips. “I love you, my sweet Chanyeollie. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you on the other side of this.”

Chanyeol sobbed into his hands when Yixing turned away from him.  _ “I love you, Xing.” _

Kyungsoo immediately reached for Chanyeol, but Yixing stopped him. “Save them, Kyungsoo,” he firmly said before holding his wrists out for the officers.

“I will.”

“Yixing Zhang, you’re under arrest for the possession and theft of illegal drugs which is a…”

Kyungsoo threw himself at Chanyeol, crying with him, holding him tight. God _ damnit, _ Kyungsoo had a bad feeling about the suppressants. The fucking suppressants that didn’t even matter in the end. Kyungsoo pressed Chanyeol’s face against his neck, as if shielding him from watching Yixing be escorted out of the room would make things any better.

“I-I have to—I h-have to call Min-Minseok—”

“We’ll call him, pup. Right now.” Kyungsoo gestured wildly behind him, hoping someone would hand him his phone. Seungsoo did, after a moment, and it was already dialing Minseok’s number. Kyungsoo sighed and coaxed Chanyeol toward the closest bed.

_ “Hello? Kyungsoo?” _

“Min…” Chanyeol wailed.

_ “Yeol? What is it? What’s—hold on—” _ Kyungsoo rubbed Chanyeol’s back while they waited; it sounded like Minseok had moved the phone away from his ear to listen to someone else speak. Minseok was still loud and clear, though.  _ “They just arrested who?!” _

Well.

_ “You’ve got to be kidding me. That motherfucker.” _

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth. “Was it Byun?”

_ “What do you think? Fucking hell, this piece of shit just doesn’t stop. God. Fuck! Chanyeol. Yeol. Listen to me. They’re bringing Yixing here, where I am. I’ll be able to see him as soon as he’s processed. Are you listening to me?” _

Chanyeol sniffled. “Yes.”

_ “I will get him out of there, no matter what. Byun’s accusations won’t hold up for long. Yeol, I will bring him back to you.” _

“O-Okay. Thanks, Min.”

_ “Did you guys get the location pin I dropped you?” _

Kyungsoo glanced around, clueless, but he seemed to be the only one. Sehun nodded and spoke up. “Yes. We were looking at the map when the cops showed up.”

_ “Good. Make sure to go there and follow my instructions. I’ve gotta go.” _

The call ended, and for a moment, no one could muster up any words, the gravity of the situation seeming to hit them all at once.

“What now?” Seungsoo eventually asked.

Sehun chewed on his lip, a new resolve settling into his shoulders. He nodded. “Kyungsoo, Yixing already had your meds and vitamins out. Eat and take those like planned. Everyone else get ready. We’re going ahead as planned.”

Everyone quietly agreed, even Chanyeol from his place against Kyungsoo’s neck.

“Okay,” Sehun said. “In the meantime, I’ll study this back way in Minseok sent us some more, and we’ll leave early to make sure we’re there on time. I think you’re gonna have to hop a fence, Kyungsoo.”

“As long as I have a boost, yeah.”

Seungsoo spoke up again. “Is Minseok getting the police involved? I thought that was too dangerous.”

“He’s been really secretive,” Chanyeol muttered, rubbing at his nose. “I don’t know.”

“At this point, I think we could use the backup,” Junmyeon said.

Kyungsoo huffed. Backup, and maybe a miracle.

Getting to the mansion the back way was easier than expected. So much easier, it almost made Kyungsoo nervous. Easy wasn’t good in these situations, right?

They were scratched by brush and startled by wind rustling the leaves, but they made it, staring at the looming mansion from behind. Quiet settled over them, and so did a fear. Kyungsoo could feel it, quaking in his bones, fingers trembling where they gripped the metal bars of the fence, and the small key in his pocket. Even this was like a prison for them, the pack, Baekhyun and Jongdae.

A single security light cast a bright stream across the center of the yard, and Sehun pointed at it, standing next to Kyungsoo now. “I don’t think I have to tell you to avoid that,” he murmured. Kyungsoo shook his head. “Do you see the doors?” Sehun asked. He pointed a little more insistently, and Kyungsoo squinted. “To the right of the light, straight ahead, tucked against the house. Looks like bushes or maybe just stray limbs or something strewn around to try and mask it.”

Kyungsoo thought he could maybe make out what Sehun was talking about, but it was just a blur of shadow to his human eyes. “To the right?” he asked.

“Yeah. Just run straight until you have eyes on it, then veer farther from the light just in case.”

Kyungsoo nodded.  _ What do we do now? _ he wanted to ask, but he already knew. Now, they crouched down into the shadows, and waited.

Ten agonizing minutes.

“What if something’s wrong—” Kyungsoo started to ask, jumping five feet in the air when his phone buzzed.

_ Now. - J _

“Shit.” He glanced at his friends, and Sehun nodded. They all stood, together helping Kyungsoo over the fence, until all he had to do was drop down on the other side with a quiet  _ oof,  _ head pounding in tandem. Well, they’d tried to rid him of the fever.

With one last encouraging nod from Sehun and Chanyeol, Kyungsoo was off.

It was hard to be quiet and fast at the same time, but he did his best, eyes on the blur of shadows until it more definitively morphed into what he was sure was cellar doors. He huffed, veering right, away from the light like Sehun said and kept pushing forward.

Once he was a little more than halfway across the yard, the mansion erupted in chaos.

Surprised shouts, howls, snarling; every sound pushed Kyungsoo a little bit harder to make it to the cellar doors, a little bit faster. He was out of breath by the time he slid on his knees and fumbled to retrieve the key from his pocket, head pounding and vision tilting.

_ “Fuck!” _ he whispered, frantically patting the grass because  _ of course _ he’d dropped the key. Did it have to be so  _ fucking small? Come on, come on, come on. _ He sucked in a breath when his fingers touched metal and he hurtled forward, grabbing the lock and jamming the key in as the snarling inside the mansion grew louder.

He had to fiddle with it, the lock sticking, but the second it was undone he yanked it off and threw it behind him, unwinding the chains tying the doors together.

When he finally,  _ finally _ opened them, he expected to be face to face with his wolves, but instead was met with a frustratingly empty staircase that led into a room he couldn’t see. Despite the logical side of his brain screaming  _ “trap!” _ he scrambled to his feet and rushed down the steps.

Three-quarters of the way down, the foul smell of the room hit him, and the sight of heavy chains strewn haphazardly on the floor and bolted to the wall made his stomach heave. He was instantly nauseous, but before he could dwell on the implications, his eyes trailed upward from the chains, to a pair of entwined bodies locked in the tightest of embraces, like they hadn’t seen each other in years. Kyungsoo instantly choked on a sob. What he could see of Baekhyun’s face was sunken and sallow, so unlike the Baekhyun Kyungsoo knew. His skin was bruised and dirty, face bloody, tail matted, and when he picked up his head to look at Kyungsoo with bright red eyes, his face twisted like he was trying  _ so hard _ not to cry. Kyungsoo could only launch forward, Baekhyun’s distraught,  _ “Kyungsoo,” _ reaching him just before he collided with both of his wolves. They buried their faces in Kyungsoo’s neck, and they cried together.

Baekhyun was the first to come up for air, his mouth finding Kyungsoo’s in a searing kiss. So many emotions crashed into Kyungsoo at once they could have knocked him over, but he knew the biggest feeling was relief, his and Baekhyun’s. Then more relief, because their connection was back and Kyungsoo felt whole again.

“We have to go,” he finally managed to say, voice thick. He pressed his forehead to Baekhyun’s. “We don’t have much time.”

“He’s right.” Kyungsoo nearly jumped out of his skin, tearing away from Baekhyun to try and put him between Jongdae and Kyungsoo, but Baekhyun linked their hands, squeezing as a woman approached from the shadows. She was crying too, and she was—

_ “Bibi?!” _ Kyungsoo blurted. The woman from the library. Her silver hair suddenly seemed more  _ silver _ in nature; he had assumed old age when they met but… “You’re Baekhyun’s mother.”

“How do you—” Baekhyun asked, but Bibi cut him off with a sharp nod.

She gently gripped Baekhyun’s arm but kept her eyes on Kyungsoo. Like this, standing so close to Baekhyun, Kyungsoo didn’t know how he didn’t see the resemblance right away in the library. “Did you find what I left for you?” she asked.

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yes ma’am. Our friend is a lawyer; I gave it to him. But—”

“Good.” She patted his cheek. “I’m very glad I got to meet you, Kyungsoo.”

“M-Me too, Bibi.”

“Take care of my boys, yeah?”

He nodded, eyes welling up with tears all over again. “Always.”

“Good boy.” She turned to Baekhyun, who instantly let go of Kyungsoo and Jongdae to hug her tightly.

“I love you, Mama,” he whispered, and Kyungsoo had to look away when he could see them both trembling, Bibi’s tears spilling onto Baekhyun’s shoulder. Kyungsoo met Jongdae’s eyes, but when he couldn’t hold it, Jongdae leaned over and kissed his temple.

“Come on,” Jongdae said. “We really have to go now.” But he still moved forward to hug Bibi himself when Baekhyun was deposited back into Kyungsoo’s arms. “Thank you for helping us, Bibi,” he heard Jongdae murmur.

Kyungsoo mindlessly wiped at some of the dried blood on Baekhyun’s cheek, unwilling to take his eyes off him until Jongdae rejoined them, taking up Baekhyun’s other side so they could finally move toward the stairs. Baekhyun was still clearly weak, not from lack of power but likely from dehydration and malnourishment. It took them devastatingly long to climb the steps, and every second they were exposed as they crossed the ridiculously large backyard made Kyungsoo nervous enough to faint. But they pushed on, because every step they took was also an inch toward freedom, and Kyungsoo would be damned if he didn’t get his wolves out of that godforsaken place.

A few feet away from the fence, Kyungsoo heard murmuring, freezing him in place for a moment before he realized there weren’t any extra bodies with their waiting group. Not any human or hybrid ones at least. He squinted, eyes making out the shapes of three, large dogs, tails wagging under the attention of Chanyeol’s hands. 

Sehun was standing farther back, cautious as he said, “They approached us, barking. I don’t know if they drew any attention before Chanyeol calmed them down. I haven’t heard anyone come outside—“ Everyone jerked to look at the dogs when they started growling at the fence and Kyungsoo’s blood froze. 

He frantically looked behind him but nothing was there. His body didn’t relax though, heart beating a mile a minute.

“It’s me,” Baekhyun rasped. “We’re gonna have to go around. My power. It’s haywire. I can’t control it yet. I’m a threat to them.” He coughed into the back of his hand. “If I cross that fence they’ll attack.”

“We’ll cross over to you,” Chanyeol said.

But Baekhyun shook his head. “You’re the only thing keeping those dogs as calm as they are. You guys stay over there.”

“Jongdeok unlocked the gate to the front,” Jongdae said. “We’ll be quick. Just get to the car and try to shake the dogs on the way.”

“Soo—”

“It’s okay, Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo shot Chanyeol a quick smile, or maybe a grimace. They were already turning around as a unit, ready to hobble for the gate. “I’ll see you at the car.”

The dogs’ growling subsided the farther the trio walked, and they collectively let out a breath. “We’ll veer straight to the right once we’re through the gate,” Jongdae whispered. “I think the shadows will be enough to conceal us just in case. Will you be able to run, Baekhyun?”

“Will you? You’re sick too.”

“We’re the worst rescue team ever,” Kyungsoo muttered.

Baekhyun whipped his head to look at him. “You’re si—” He sniffed. “You have a fever.”

“It’s fine. Come on. Maybe the three of us can make up one good runner.”

Jongdae preemptively reached forward to push the gate open for them, and the three of them together just barely fit through. 

They cut to the right, and Kyungsoo’s sigh of relief was abruptly cut off by a hand around his throat.

Baekhyun’s arm slipped from his shoulders as Kyungsoo was lifted from the ground, the pressure on his neck too much to do much but squeak as everyone else screamed. Claws dug into the back of his neck until he could feel the blood dripping down his skin. 

_ “You!” _ a deep voice snarled. Kyungsoo couldn’t see anything but the night sky, and blue and red police lights flashing in the distance. 

It wasn’t hard to guess who was killing him, though.

He only hoped it would be quick, and that the police would be quicker. If he had to be the final distraction that got Alpha Byun put behind bars for good, then so be it. As long as Baekhyun and Jongdae were safe.

_ Me, _ he tried to say back, but his vision was already blacking out. Any second now.

A loud, ugly snarl pierced Kyungsoo’s mind and body and he was falling, falling with a thud. Not to the ground, but not through the clouds either. A body, catching him, wrapping around him. Shuddering and licking the back of his neck. With a gasp, air rushed into Kyungsoo’s lungs, and vague awareness followed it.

_ “Don’t ever put your fucking hands on my mate—” _

Kyungsoo blinked the fuzzy blackness from his eyes, heaving breaths rattling him and Jongdae; Jongdae, because Baekhyun was before him, roaring over his father’s body on the ground before fitting his fangs around his neck. He bit down. Kyungsoo could see the blood spilling, and he reached out. 

“Baekhyun—” he tried, but his voice wasn’t whole. He grabbed Jongdae’s hand, silently urging him to help as he mustered up his own strength, trying to gather a wave of calm.  _ Baekhyun! _ he thought, pushing it forward at the same time Jongdae shouted it.

Baekhyun jolted backward, an ominous picture with blood dripping from his mouth and teeth. He grabbed his father’s chin, voice gravelly as he said, “I never want to see you within a hundred feet of my mates, my pack, or anyone in that house ever again.  _ Do you understand?” _ Alpha Byun nodded once, slowly, like it pained him greatly to do so. “I don’t give a fuck what you’ve done to me, but if you escape prison, if you hurt any of _ them  _ ever again, I will come back and fucking finish you.”

Baekhyun punctuated his threat by spitting the excess blood and saliva in his mouth on his father’s face.

Kyungsoo stared, waiting, even when Baekhyun climbed onto him and Jongdae and broke down sobbing, weakly fretting over Kyungsoo’s throbbing neck, Kyungsoo refused to take his eyes off Baekhyun’s father, just in case. But the Alpha was limp, completely lifeless. Kyungsoo would worry—for Baekhyun’s sake—that he was dead if his chest wasn’t rattling with weak breaths.

Bodies swarmed them and Kyungsoo had trouble processing them all. Alpha Byun was dragged away first, that much he knew; cuffed by buff werewolf cops and dragged toward an ambulance with barred windows. Lights were shined in their eyes and a heavy body collided with them from behind.

_ “Kyungsoo,” _ Chanyeol weeped.  _ “Alphas. _ Kyungsoo, fuck, are you okay?”

“Please.” That was Jongdae, his crying voice echoing over the lawn. “They both need medical attention!”

The next thing Kyungsoo knew, he was being hoisted onto a stretcher. “You’re s’posed to be at the car,” he muttered at Chanyeol’s snotty, red face, not sure his voice was even making a sound.

“The fucking SWAT swarmed us at the back fence. Th-They told us to stay there while they went in the house. We saw the whole thing, Kyungsoo,  _ fuck—” _

“We need to get him into the ambulance, sir,” someone said, a medic, Kyungsoo supposed.

Chanyeol wiped at his face. “Can I come with him?”

“Yes. Quickly.”

Lights blinded Kyungsoo, but his body hurt too much to lift a hand to cover his eyes. “Baekhyun?” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut instead.

“He’s on another ambulance, Soo. I think he passed out. Jongdae’s with him.”

Kyungsoo tried to say something else, anything else, but god, his throat hurt, and he was so tired. His head was pounding ten times worse than before.

“You’re gonna be okay, Soo, both of you,” Chanyeol said, the weight of his hand resting over Kyungsoo’s. “Sehun ran to the cars to update Junmyeon and your brother. Maybe we can call Yixing so he can update the doctors about the medicines you guys have been…”

Kyungsoo’s hand went limp under Chanyeol’s first, and then the rest of him, darkness sweeping over him.


	18. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 6.6k

_ “Baekhyun is technically the pack’s Alpha now, right? After asserting his power over his father like that?” _

_ “Ah. Yeah. I don’t think that was his intention though.” _

_ “No. I’d want to kill my father too, if he tried to kill Junmyeon. On top of everything else. But I’d also hope someone stopped me, like you guys did for him.” _

_ “I’ve just never seen Baek like that…” _

_ “You know it’s not a reflection of his character, Jongdae. He was literally beaten and bloodied, malnourished, sick. All that power rushing into him right before one of his soulmates was almost killed a foot away from him? Anyone would go a little feral.” _

_ “No, I know. I guess I’m just worried about how he’s going to feel about it when he wakes up. I don’t want it to add stress.” _

_ “As long as you and Kyungsoo are there for him, he’s going to be just fine.” _

_ “Thanks, Sehun.” _

Kyungsoo laid there for several moments longer, unsure if he was asleep or awake, if he had imagined the conversation next to him. It was a bit too real, though, for him to have dreamed it up.

He was stiff, and under the impression even opening his eyes would hurt, but he tried anyway, until he was staring at Jongdae’s face, watching Kyungsoo hopefully. Jongdae’s eyes immediately filled with tears, despite his relieved smile.

“Hey, Soo. Welcome back.”

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Kyungsoo whispered, because it was all he could manage.

Jongdae laughed, wet and quiet, but he nodded. “Yeah. No more sickness or almost dying from here on out, okay?”

Kyungsoo nodded, or tried to. He frowned at the brace on his neck, fingers coming up to graze it. His arm felt like jelly; in fact, his whole body did, he thought, slowly registering each feeling.

“How long was I out?” he asked, fearing the worst. 

Jongdae shook his head, grasping Kyungsoo’s fingers. He looked completely worn down, weak, even. “Not long, considering. Hasn’t even been 24 hours. It’s around four in the afternoon now.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Do you feel weird? They have you on some heavy duty pain meds for your neck.”

Kyungsoo tried to nod again. “Is my neck…?”

“Broken? No no no.” Jongdae gripped their hands with his other one, kissing Kyungsoo’s fingers. “The brace is mostly a precaution. For while you sleep. The doctor said you got off with just some heavy bruising and swelling. They do wanna check your mobility and stuff though, once you’re awake enough.”

“Baek?”

Jongdae’s hands squeezed him. “He’s okay. They...medically induced a coma, so that it will be easier to heal.” Kyungsoo’s stomach swooped uncomfortably. That didn’t  _ sound  _ okay. “He was in bad shape. Really bad—“ Jongdae blinked down at the bed and shook his head. “He used...every ounce of his power before his body was ready for it. To overpower Alpha—his father.” He laughed, uncertain. “Ah, he’s not my Alpha anymore. It’s weird.”

“Good, though?”

Jongdae nodded. “You have no idea.” He tucked their hands under his chin, chewing on his lip for a moment, exhausted eyes scanning Kyungsoo’s face. “Soo…” Mild panic rose in Kyungsoo’s chest when Jongdae blinked and tears streamed down his face. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what, Dae?”

_ “Everything,” _ Jongdae cried. “Every stupid decision I made was born out of panic. I-I was trying so hard to protect you and all I did was hurt you. And it was all f-for nothing, because you saved us and almost got  _ killed _ for it—”

“Dae.” Kyungsoo let his eyes fall shut, trying to gather his thoughts. He felt like there was so much he wanted to say to Jongdae, but talking wasn’t easy right now. “I get it,” he whispered. “Really. Part of me knew what you were doing. Just...please never think saying we’re done to protect me is the solution, ah, ever again?”

“I know. I’m so fucking sorry.” Kyungsoo’s heart swelled with sadness as tears slipped between his fingers. “I was stupid, and there’s really no good excuse.”

“It’s okay, Jongdae.”

“I thought I could do it by myself—“

“You shouldn’t have to. Ever, you know?” Kyungsoo slowly, uncomfortably cleared his throat. “We’re...a unit, Dae. You don’t have to pull some hero act and alienate everyone in the process.”

Jongdae only nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. He really did look so drained. Kyungsoo stiffly reached over and wiped some of his tears, his own lip trembling with sorrow.

“I’m not mad,” he whispered. “I can’t pretend I wouldn’t have tried to do the same thing if the roles were reversed.”

“You forgive me?” Jongdae cried.

“Always, Jongdae. Just promise we can trust each other from here on out.”

“I promise. I promise.” Jongdae let go of Kyungsoo’s hand and pressed forward, laying his head on Kyungsoo’s stomach, eyes still closed and sniffling. “I love you, Soo.”

Kyungsoo buried his fingers in Jongdae’s hair, hugging him closer. “I love you, too.”

He tried to even and slow his breathing, to be more soothing for Jongdae. It seemed to work right as a doctor walked in. Jongdae sprung back up, scrubbing at his eyes and squeezing Kyungsoo’s fingers again.

“Dr. Smith,” he said as a greeting.

“Jongdae.” The doctor nodded, tall and pleasant. He turned to Kyungsoo. “Ah, Kyungsoo! You’re awake.”

“Hello.”

“Sorry,” Jongdae said. “He hasn’t been awake for long. I should’ve told you—“

“It’s quite alright, Jongdae. But you’re supposed to be resting too.”

“I’m sitting down.”

Kyungsoo didn’t have to turn to know the doctor was giving Jongdae a flat look. Kyungsoo snorted, but softened as he grasped Jongdae’s hand tight. “You should be with Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo murmured. It hadn’t clicked until now; Jongdae and Baekhyun were unbonded soulmates. Jongdae looked so weak because he was, having been separated from Baekhyun for too long.

Jongdae was shaking his head though. “They said you would wake up soon. I wanted to be here when you did.”

After a moment of staring, the doctor gently cleared his throat and took a step closer. “Kyungsoo, I’m Dr. Smith. I’ve been taking care of both you and Baekhyun since you were brought in last night.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” The doctor smiled. “We don’t normally treat humans here, but Jongdae explained your situation—”

“They tried to take you to a different hospital and I broke down, he means,” Jongdae muttered.

Dr. Smith huffed a laugh. “And then he explained. I’ve never met folks with a Spirit Bond before, but I was raised to believe they were real. I’ve been consulting with your friends, Junmyeon and Sehun, and a colleague at the nearby human hospital to make sure we’re giving you the proper care you need.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m sorry for being such a burden.”

“Don’t be.” Dr. Smith shook his head, expression growing solemn. “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you. I heard you helped take down the Byun-Kim pack.” Kyungsoo gaped, unsure what to say, but the doctor smiled sympathetically. “I can’t tell you how often I’ve treated Baekhyun, or other members of that pack, and have felt entirely too helpless because I couldn’t do anything to prevent their injuries. We’re all happy, here, to see Alpha Byun go down. I imagine most of the town is.”

Kyungsoo let that sink in. Baekhyun’s father had negatively affected so many people. It was hard to believe it was finally over.

“Ah, have I rendered you speechless?” The doctor grinned. “Good. You shouldn’t be talking so much anyway.” Jongdae laughed, and only then did Kyungsoo realize how much he needed that sound, tension draining in a millisecond.

The doctor seemed to sense that as well, softening as he said, “Let’s sit you upright, okay? I’ll get you out of that neck brace.”

“Did you...give me horse tranquilizers?” Kyungsoo wheezed as they helped him. His body felt so heavy, yet loose all at once. Jongdae didn’t seem to be in much better shape, panting as he fluffed the pillows for Kyungsoo to lean against, then plopping back into his chair.

The doctor beat him to speaking on it, though. “Jongdae, you need to go rest with Baekhyun.”

“Later.”

Dr. Smith didn’t press, turning back to Kyungsoo. “No tranquilizers, Kyungsoo. It’s just the combination of morphine and the stress your body was put under.” Gently, he fiddled with the brace around Kyungsoo’s neck, and slowly pulled it away. The air on Kyungsoo’s skin felt great; it had just started to itch. “It’s kind of like when you get into even a minor car accident, and you’re sore no matter what, because your body tensed so much.”

“Right.”

Dr. Smith offered another sympathetic smile. “Try to hold still for a moment. I’d like to check your stitches before we test your mobility.” 

Confusion must have radiated from Kyungsoo because Jongdae leaned forward again, grasping his hand. “Byun’s claws, babe.”

Ah. Yes, Kyungsoo remembered. “Jongdae acted fast,” Dr. Smith said. “He licked your wounds right away. If he wasn’t so sick, you might not have needed stitches at all, but he at least stopped the bleeding quickly.”

Kyungsoo stared forward, squeezing Jongdae’s hand while the doctor gently prodded. The wounds responded with a dull ache, but the morphine was clearly still working it’s magic. 

“Where’s Sehun?” Kyungsoo asked, if only to distract himself from the memory of being strangled.

“Hm?” Jongdae hummed. “He was here a few hours ago. Did you know that?”

“Thought I heard...you were talking about Baek…”

“Huh. Yeah, we were. Him and Junmyeon are around here somewhere. I think they were granted a conference room to work.”

“They were. And it’s not uncommon, drifting,” Dr. Smith supplied. “Medicine probably pulled Kyungsoo back under.” He hummed. “The puncture wounds are looking well.” He shifted back so Kyungsoo could see him again, gloved fingers skimming Kyungsoo’s throat. “Swelling has gone down. Bruising doesn’t seem too severe, though it is starting to purple.”

“I’m surprised it’s not…” Jongdae started.

Dr. Smith nodded. “More defined? Strangulation with hands doesn’t always result in visible bruises, believe it or not. You have to worry more about internal injuries. Everything looked fine in our initial scan, though, so I suppose we get the bruising instead.” He gently grabbed Kyungsoo’s chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Now, very slowly, Kyungsoo, we’re going to look at Jongdae. Grab my wrist. If it hurts too much, squeeze.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t painless, going through the exam, but Kyungsoo still felt like it should’ve been worse so he didn’t complain. Instead, he dreaded later when they inevitably took him off his pain medicine.

After that, the doctor checked his mating bite and cleaned it, stating that the infection was clearing up. They all knew the sooner he could be with Baekhyun, the faster the healing would be.

“We  _ are  _ trying,” Dr. Smith said, “to get you roomed with Baekhyun. They’re setting up a room right now, but it has to be properly adjusted to suit two—and a half—“ he pointedly glanced at Jongdae, “—patients. We don’t normally need to stuff two people in one room, so it’s taking some time.”

“Thank you.” Kyungsoo sighed. “Could I...see him, at least?”

Dr. Smith placed a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder. “I’m sorry, Kyungsoo. I’d really like you to go through just one more round of morphine and rest before we get you up and moving at all.”

Kyungsoo stared down at his lap. “Okay.”

Jongdae kissed his hand. “I’ll be here when you wake up, okay? I’m not leaving your side—“

A knock at the door cut him off, followed by a head cautiously peeking around the corner, then a gummy smile.

“You’re awake!” Minseok said, moving to stand next to Jongdae. “How’s he doing, doc?”

“Very well, considering. Minseok, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to update him before he goes back to sleep?”

Minseok nodded once. “Please.”

“You have five minutes. And Kyungsoo, turn with your body, not your neck.”

“Yes, thank you.”

When Dr. Smith exited the room, Minseok rested a hand on Kyungsoo’s thigh. “How are you feeling, Soo?”

“Okay, I think.”

“Considering.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He took a moment to carefully adjust so he could see them better, unwilling to let go of Jongdae’s hand the entire time. “Is Baek’s father…?”

“He’s done. I promise,” Minseok firmly said. He looked tired as well. Kyungsoo figured they could all use about a week of sleep after this. “It’s not official yet, but there’s no chance of him getting out of prison, Soo. He’s  _ done.” _

“Good.” Kyungsoo took a moment to breathe, finding it hard to be relieved just yet. “The girl? Bella?”

“Her too. She almost slipped away, but an officer caught her. She and two other glorified delinquents are the only ones who stood firmly with Byun. There’s too much evidence stacked against them now. And now that we have strong testimonials from Bibi, Jongdeok, and his wife, proof of brainwashing, et cetera...everything is falling into place as it should.”

Jongdae rested his head against their hands. “Jongdeok called earlier and said they made a deal. They won’t have to be locked away, right?”

“Like I said, nothing’s official yet, but yes. Their immediate and thorough cooperation has helped everyone, themselves included. They’ll likely still be on parole, but it’s better than the alternative. Everyone else that fell on neutral ground will serve jail time, with varying sentences. Jongdeok is currently identifying those who have beaten and poisoned Baek and other pack members in the past, so that will come into play as well.”

Kyungsoo cut his eyes to Jongdae, silently questioning. Minseok nodded.

“We also managed to track down a journalist who also has valuable information. Another reason our case is so strong now.” Kyungsoo chewed on his cheek as he slowly nodded as well, free hand petting Jongdae’s hair. “Jongdeok and Bibi say everyone in the pack is accounted for, but we’re keeping this place secure while you three heal. Just in case Byun has outside contact we don’t know about. But honestly…” Minseok deeply inhaled. “This has gone so much better than I could have ever hoped. So much fell onto our laps at once. Despite being completely unprepared for Baekhyun’s capture, I’m so... _ goddamn _ relieved it’s worked in our favor in the end.”

“Me too,” Jongdae and Kyungsoo both said, then Kyungsoo asked, “And Yixing?”   
Kyungsoo watched the sadness color Minseok’s expression until he nodded. “Again, not official, but I’m getting him out. No matter what it takes. Jongdeok and Bibi’s testimonials help this too, and the fact they now have to take any of Byun’s accusations with a big, fat grain of salt.”

“How’s Yixing doing, though?”

Quieter, Minseok said, “He’s okay. Honestly, I think he’s getting some much needed rest.” He laughed, a bit humorlessly. “He’s worried, of course. About his patients and medical license mostly. But I’m doing what I can. He’s especially resting well today knowing Baekhyun and Jongdae are free. Chanyeol is out running errands for him, taking charts to Yixing’s colleagues, and such.” Minseok laughed a bit more genuinely this time. “Chanyeol’s going to be upset he missed you being awake.”

“It took us all night to convince him no one would be angry at him if he went to see Xing,” Jongdae murmured. “Especially not you.”

“He finally listened this morning,” Minseok added. “I think the quiet was getting to him. He’ll be back in a few hours, though.”

“Ah. Silly pup.” Kyungsoo shook his head. “Why would I get mad at him for that?”

“You know how much he cares.”

“Yeah, I know.”

A brief moment of silence passed, and Kyungsoo could hear Dr. Smith outside the door. “Hey,” Minseok said, voice soft. Kyungsoo lifted his gaze to him again. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry, for how I handled things in the hotel. I guess...we were all just trying to protect each other in different ways, which only hurt us in the end. I know you were confused, and hurt, and I also knew Jongdae was lying when he said it was done, and I didn’t know how to balance that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Kyungsoo sighed. “I’m sorry too. I think we should just...forget everything about that hotel, and what happened in it.”

“God, I never wanna see that place again,” Minseok agreed.

Jongdae lifted his hand. “Amen.”

Dr. Smith came back in, so Minseok politely bowed his head to everyone and promised to keep them updated.

“Where’s Seungsoo?” Kyungsoo managed to ask as they helped him lie back down.

“Oh, yeah.” Jongdae shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “He left Mina without a car. She really wanted to come visit you, and Seung didn’t want to just leave her hanging for too long. Once the doc assured him like fifty times you were going to be just fine, he left. They’ll be back in the morning, I think.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Okay.” Everyone was accounted for then. Now, Kyungsoo could rest.

The next thing Kyungsoo noticed, was that he was in a different room.

After that was that he was on his side, propped with pillows to keep his neck even.

Third was Jongdae resting his head on another bed a few feet away, asleep, hands wrapped around Baekhyun’s.

Baekhyun.

The relief rising in his heart stirred his other emotions as well, and he barely registered someone speaking to him from his other side. “Hey, hey…” The room was dim, which made it hard to see, but it was unmistakably Chanyeol, who immediately helped him sit up, then sat on the edge of the bed with him. “Hey, Soo.”

“Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo’s eyes welled with tears and Chanyeol cupped his cheeks, brows knitted together.

“Why are you crying?”

_ “I don’t know.” _ Kyungsoo took a shaky breath. “I’m happy to see you.”

Chanyeol softened all over, nodding and catching his tears. “And Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo nodded. There was no point in denying it. He couldn’t control the relief.

“It’s okay, bub. He’s okay. Everyone’s okay.” Chanyeol sniffled, but didn’t falter. “I’ve got you.” He scooted until he was closer, carefully wrapping Kyungsoo in his arms. “Are you in pain?”

“A little,” Kyungsoo answered before he was really sure. He hiccupped. “Yeah, just a little.”

“Do you want me to get someone?”

“Not yet.” Kyungsoo shook his head. He didn’t want them to put him right back to sleep, but he especially didn’t want to be forced away from Chanyeol right now either. Jongdae sniffling snagged his attention, however, and he just barely caught himself before whipping his head around. “Dae?”

Chanyeol rubbed his back. “He’s been doing that. Um. Crying in his sleep.”

“What?”

“Minseok...told him. About what really happened to his parents.”

“N-No—while both Baek and I were asleep? While we couldn’t—”

“I know. It’s okay.” Chanyeol tried to soothe him. “Minseok was worried the details of the case would get out before Jongdae knew. I-I was here. I didn’t leave his side until he was ready to rest.” Kyungsoo weakly scrubbed tears from his cheeks while Chanyeol continued. “He’s been out for a bit. The nurses expect him to be in a deep sleep like that now that he’s with Baekhyun. Just for the rest of the night probably.” 

Kyungsoo pressed his cheek against Chanyeol’s chest. “He needs to heal.”

“Yeah, bub, he does.”

This time when he met with the doctor on duty, he was allowed to walk around with Chanyeol’s aid, and have a late dinner with him, Junmyeon, and Sehun. Even though Kyungsoo’s dinner only consisted of pudding because his throat was still swollen.

They lowered his morphine dosage after that, but he still couldn’t remember falling asleep, only waking up to sunlight and Jongdae sleepily rubbing at his eyes. Kyungsoo reached out a hand for him, startling him, but he was met with a soft smile and greeting anyway. Jongdae let go of Baekhyun’s hand and grabbed Kyungsoo’s instead, standing up so he could sit on the edge of Kyungsoo’s bed. 

“Hi, baby,” Jongdae murmured, voice rough with sleep. He cupped Kyungsoo’s face and leaned down to drop a kiss to his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. They let me walk around and have a snack last night, so.”

“Ah, and I missed it?”

Kyungsoo frowned. “You needed to rest. And heal.” Jongdae just nodded, gaze growing a bit fuzzy as his fingers idly stroked Kyungsoo’s cheek. “How are you feeling, Dae? Really?”

Jongdae didn’t answer for a moment, and Kyungsoo watched the way his eyes watered, and his bottom lip began to tremble. But he shook his head like he was determined. “Did Yeol tell you?” Kyungsoo nodded, reaching up to cup Jongdae’s jaw, and Jongdae melted into the touch, eyes squeezing shut and emotion pouring out of him.

“Come here,” Kyungsoo murmured, scooting back to make more room for him. “It’s okay. Come here.”

“Y-Your IV—“

“They took it out last night, Dae, it’s okay. Just lay down with me.”

Jongdae only nodded, easing down until they were both settled, Jongdae’s head on Kyungsoo’s chest. Jongdae didn’t weep, like Kyungsoo expected, but tears still soaked through Kyungsoo’s hospital gown. They stayed like that, Kyungsoo petting Jongdae’s hair until his sniffles slowed down.

“Do you want to talk about it, Dae?”

“No.” He laced their fingers. “Part of me always knew it wasn’t a car accident.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier to hear.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Kyungsoo continued stroking Jongdae’s hair. “What do you need from me?”

“I should be asking you that,” Jongdae muttered, trying a laugh that sounded more like a sob. But he shook his head, nuzzling against Kyungsoo’s chest. “Just hold me like this for a bit?”

“Of course.”

Kyungsoo was hot.

He wasn’t sweating; it wasn’t too many blankets. Not that kind of hot. No, it was red-faced, breathless heat. Breathless because he couldn’t  _ breathe. _

_ You, _ a monstrous voice echoed.  _ You. You. _ Claws. Slicing into his neck. His own nails, scratching, grasping for purchase that didn’t exist.

Cold. A shock to his face, more like a blanket than before. He felt his eyebrows pull together before he forced his eyes open, expecting to see red and blue swirling lights beneath a dark sky.

Instead, there was sunlight and Baekhyun, gently touching his cheek.

_ “Baek—” _ Kyungsoo tried to say, but he choked on the inhale, terrified for a moment that Baekhyun was the dream, not what he had just woken up from. His hand shot up to touch his own neck, meeting nothing but bruises, and he tried to breathe again.

He wasn’t really successful until Baekhyun pressed their foreheads together, hand still against Kyungsoo’s cheek.  _ “Breathe,” _ Baekhyun was saying, the sound just barely breaking through the barrier of panic. How long had Baekhyun been saying that? Was Baekhyun even real? Kyungsoo still wasn’t convinced.

Another voice.  _ “Soo, you’re okay.” _ This came from behind him and he flinched under an unexpected touch, but there was something in the action that screamed  _ safe, _ so he relaxed.  _ “You’re safe, babe. We’ve got you.” _ Jongdae, Kyungsoo desperately pinpointed. It was Jongdae. Jongdae and Baekhyun, surrounding him, holding him. Safe.

The second he could pick reality apart from his nightmare, air rushed into his lungs, and a familiar coil of calm gently wrapped around him, weaved through him.

Kyungsoo pressed forward, with his body, his mind, or soul, he didn’t know. Regardless, Baekhyun answered.

“I missed you, too.”

Kyungsoo cried.

“I thought I was dreaming,” was the first thing Kyungsoo said sometime later, after more fitful sleep, but also less nightmares. He was warm for better reasons, on a stiff bed between the two loves of his life. He knew he’d be staring into Baekhyun’s eyes before he even looked, and smiled when he was right.

“That I was awake?” Baekhyun gently questioned, brushing his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair. He looked better already, Kyungsoo noted. He still looked too thin but the color was back in his skin. The circles under his eyes looked more natural, and less detrimental. Then he smiled too, like he couldn’t help it, and everything felt right in the world again.

Kyungsoo nodded, sliding his hand up Baekhyun’s arm. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“Free,” was Baekhyun’s simple answer. “Clear,” he added, gaze shifting behind Kyungsoo.

Jongdae propped himself up, dropping a kiss to Kyungsoo’s shoulder and nodding. “Yeah, babe, same.”

“It feels weird, being me again,” Baekhyun murmured. Kyungsoo figured he was talking about his power. “Being...more me than I ever have.”

He carefully leaned up for a quick kiss from Jongdae, which made Kyungsoo immediately frown. “Wh—“ Mindlessly, he patted the top of Baekhyun’s head, then frowned. “Oh.” Baekhyun’s wolf ears were gone.

Baekhyun giggled. “Disappointed?”

“No.” Kyungsoo smiled as he shook his head. “Just not used to it.”

“Me neither,” Baekhyun said. “It’s been years since I’ve had the strength to present as fully human.”

“You never told me…”

Baekhyun sighed. “It’s not—it’s not something I ever wanted to talk about. It was always embarrassing. Even though I knew—I knew you nor Jongdae judged me...the shame was just an Alpha trait I couldn’t shake.”

Kyungsoo’s fingers crawled until they were touching Baekhyun’s face and he nodded, opting to change the subject for him. “How long have you been up, huh? Someone should’ve woken me.”

Baekhyun shook his head. “They woke me up not too long before your nightmare. I’m just glad it worked out that way, so I could help.” He frowned, petting Kyungsoo’s hair. “Are you okay?”

Kyungsoo didn’t quite know the answer to that one. Physically, he felt better; it didn’t hurt to talk anymore. Only the bruises still made themselves known. But he thought he might prefer all the physical stuff over nightmares. He was  _ fine,  _ really. He was okay, because his mates and his friends were, but he didn’t need to relive his almost-death in his sleep. He didn’t need to wake up thinking there were hands squeezing the life out of him again.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “The nightmares might be a problem, but I’m...that doesn’t matter. I’m just happy you’re both okay.”

“It does matter, love.” Baekhyun frowned. “But we can talk about it later, if you’d like. I want Dr. Smith to take a look at you and see if you’re cleared for eating real food yet.” At Kyungsoo’s inquisitive sound, Baekhyun gave him a chaste kiss. “I want to take my mates to lunch.”

Jongdae laughed, his hand warm on Kyungsoo’s waist as they entered the hospital cafeteria. “And they say chivalry is dead!”

Baekhyun’s pout truly rivaled that of a thousand puppies as he pulled out a plastic chair for Kyungsoo to sit in. “We aren’t allowed to leave the hospital yet! I’m doing my best.”

“Mm-hmm.” Jongdae chuckled, pinching Baekhyun’s cheek before pulling out the next chair for Baekhyun, making him sputter.

“I was going to do that for you!”

Kyungsoo huffed as they briefly bickered; Jongdae was the one to give in, sitting next to Kyungsoo with a fond roll of his eyes. Kyungsoo lazily propped his chin on his elbow and raised a brow at them both. “Is this what it’s going to be like now? You both trying to out-Alpha the other?”

“No!” Baekhyun exclaimed at the same time as Jongdae’s monotone, “Yes.”

Baekhyun pouted again, taking the seat across from them. One foot nudged Kyungsoo’s, and he had no doubt the other was nudging Jongdae’s. “Jongdae has spent a long time taking care of me. My strength is back. It’s my turn!”

Kyungsoo dropped his hand to Jongdae’s when it squeezed his knee. “I know you’re going to go all mother hen on us for a bit, Baek, but you know you can’t stop us from taking care of you right back.”

“Hmph.” Baekhyun crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m going to go get our food.”

Kyungsoo snorted, and could  _ hear _ the eyebrow raise in Jongdae’s voice. “You’re going to carry three food trays? Babe?”

Baekhyun whined.  _ “Fine.  _ Come with me. Soo, stay here!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kyungsoo laughed, warm with the feeling of it. Baekhyun beamed at him and the feeling amplified.

The mood was a bit more somber by the time his wolves got back with food, and Kyungsoo figured pretending there weren’t a million things to talk about could only last so long.

“What all has Jongdae filled you in on so far?” Kyungsoo asked once they were each settled.

Baekhyun smiled sadly down at his tray, pushing vegetables around with his fork. “All the important bits, I think. We talked while you slept off your panic.” He peered up at Kyungsoo, eyes unnervingly earnest. “Thank you, Kyungsoo. For...god, everything? There’s a lot about what happened that I’m really ashamed of.”

“Ashamed—? Baek…”

“You never should’ve had to put yourself in danger like you did. It was so irresponsible of us to bring you here at all—”

“Baek, you weren’t keeping me away. I was coming with you no matter what.”

“Still.” Baekhyun slumped in his seat. He looked like he could use a few more days of sleep. “But I think I’m most ashamed at what you had to see. Me...letting my wolf take over completely.” Kyungsoo watched a breath hiccup in his chest, the beginnings of a sob. 

He was on his feet before he could think, wobbling over and easing himself onto Baekhyun’s lap. “Baekhyun,” he tried as Baekhyun’s arms automatically wound around him. A chair scraped across the floor as Jongdae scooted next to them. “There’s no shame in what you did. You were protecting... _ everyone.” _

Jongdae nodded, his hands grasping for both of them, enclosing them in a tight circle. “That’s exactly what I told him.”

“I let go of every ounce of control I had. I would have killed him if you hadn’t—”

_ “I _ would have killed him, Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo grabbed Baekhyun’s face. “Do you think I should see you differently? That I should be scared of you? Because I’m not, Baek. I never have been.”

“I’ve just—I’ve never—” Baekhyun blubbered, eyes anywhere but on Kyungsoo’s face.

A gentle hand grabbed Kyungsoo’s wrist, and he looked down at Jongdae, who nodded at him. “Baekhyun,” he said, replacing Kyungsoo’s hands with his own. “Sweetheart, listen to me. He would have killed Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun whimpered. “He would have, and you saved him. You saved our mate’s life and you put your father in his place. You rightly asserted yourself as leader, you took his position away from him—”

_ “I don’t want it.” _ Baekhyun was openly crying now, and Kyungsoo vaguely registered they were in public, and never should have left their hospital room before talking about this. They were five seconds from causing a scene, but all that really mattered was getting Baekhyun through it. “I don’t want to be their pack leader. They’re my blood family, but they’re not my pack—”

“Hey, hey.” Jongdae gently shushed him, wiping at his tears. “Of course they’re not your pack. Why would I let you run off to lead them when we’re right here, huh? Our little band of misfits is one hundred times the pack our families ever were.” Thankfully, Baekhyun nodded, and Kyungsoo burrowed into his warmth, hugging him tight. Jongdae continued, “What matters, baby, is that when you asserted your power over your father’s, it was worlds easier for him to be arrested. Without what you did, and Minseok’s planning, he might not be locked away right now. We might not be sitting here right now. But he is, and we are. 

“We’re safe. We all played our parts, but  _ you _ saved us, Baekhyunnie. There’s no shame in that.”

Baekhyun surged forward, dragging Jongdae deep into a kiss. Heart thudding in his ears, Kyungsoo knew this was a powerful moment. To be in their hometown, in the middle of a cafeteria where everyone knew who they were because of their pack, and to be themselves despite it all.

To show everyone how much they loved each other.

Baekhyun was kissing Kyungsoo next, faint whispers of  _ I love you _ fluttering between their lips. They were definitely causing a scene now, but Kyungsoo much preferred this over the breakdown he feared had been coming.

Baekhyun broke away, blinking his watery eyes at something behind Kyungsoo. Relief overwhelmed him just before he heard, “Don’t get up! I’m coming to you,” followed by the sound of someone jogging over.

_ “Yixing?” _ Kyungsoo exclaimed, and then he was buried in a warm group hug, Baekhyun sobbing and radiating overwhelming relief. 

Kyungsoo could just barely make out Yixing’s dark hair among the chaos, but the arms wrapping around him from behind were unmistakable. “Yeol,” he breathed.

“Hey, bub.” Chanyeol sniffled against his ear. “They dropped the charges against Xing. We’re all okay now.”

After everyone affectionately bumped foreheads, they clambered into seats and laps, unwilling to be too far apart. It didn’t even matter in the end.

They all had a lot to recover from, but they were all okay now.

“Did you have any idea?” Kyungsoo asked later that night, voice quiet as could be. It was back to only the three of them cramped on one bed, Baekhyun sleeping soundly in the middle.

Jongdae hummed as he played with Kyungsoo’s fingers on Baekhyun’s side, a question.

“That you and Baekhyun also have the Spirit Bond?”

Jongdae let out a breath, like he still couldn’t believe it, maybe. “No. I mean…” He propped himself up with his elbow. “I guess I had...inklings? I think...that day, that we met Junmyeon and Sehun. I think I reacted so harshly because my wolf knew. That the things everyone was describing fit me too.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t know. I guess it just felt like...how could we be and not know it? After spending our entire lives together?”

Kyungsoo frowned. “Well I guess that’s part of it. I mean, yeah you were inseparable so you never got sick, but you also grew up feeling the way soulmates do, right? It’s not like you knew it was out of the ordinary. Like Baekhyun being an Empath, like Seulgi said.”

“Yeah.” Jongdae laughed. “We’ve learned more about ourselves through you, in less than a year than we have our entire lives. Wild.”

Kyungsoo reluctantly chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

Jongdae pinched his hand. “For what? Opening up our eyes and lives? Freeing us? Filling in the empty space between us and bringing us together? I can keep going—“

“Please don’t.”

Together, they laughed. Jongdae laced their fingers when the sound died out. “Does it bother you?” he asked. “That you and I aren’t…”

“No,” Kyungsoo firmly answered. “Does it...bother you?”

“No. I think my wolf just...always knew. It accepted you the second I laid eyes on you. We share a soulmate. Even if I hadn’t fallen head over heels for you that very first night...I would’ve over time.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “I liked you so much, Dae, way before all of this. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I do, babe.” Jongdae kissed his hand. “We were just as inevitable as me and Baek, and you and Baek. We’ve got our own bond.”

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo grinned, bumping Jongdae’s cheek with their hands.

“Who even knew someone could have  _ two _ soulmates?”

“Literally no one,” Kyungsoo said, laughing. “Junmyeon said Taemin and Jongin have completely shifted their research to dig and see if they can find anyone else like Baek, like us. But this is a first for them.”

“Well, welcome to our club, I’d say.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “I’m not sure they’ll find much. I think...Baek just has that much love in his heart.”

Jongdae’s face melted into a warm grin. “Yeah, he does.”

“I love you, Jongdae.”

Jongdae let go of his hand and urged him up, meeting him halfway for a kiss. “I love you, too, Soo.”

Beneath them, Baekhyun hummed, muttering under his breath, “I love being squished in a DaeSoo sandwich.”

Kyungsoo and Jongdae bursted out laughing, comfortably curling into Baekhyun’s open arms and settling down for the night.

“Yixing, you are  _ off the clock,” _ Kyungsoo said, despite politely sitting still on the bed while Yixing gently cupped his shoulder.

“A doctor is never off the clock, Soo.”

Kyungsoo huffed. “They have a healer here, Xing. You don’t have to do this.”

“Double-teaming will help. Your mating bite is already almost healed.” Yixing shifted, but hesitated, hands awkwardly hovering in the air between them. “Can I…”

Kyungsoo was confused, until Yixing motioned toward his neck. Oh. “Uh, yeah sure.”

He hated the way his body tensed up the second Yixing carefully cupped his neck, but he couldn’t help it. Yixing’s hands were pressing new buttons, causing a stream of images to flash through his mind. The night sky. Blue and red lights. The dark edges of loss of consciousness.

“Soo, hey, Kyungsoo, it’s okay,” Yixing said. Kyungsoo blinked and found himself holding Yixing’s wrist in a death grip. His fingers were no longer on Kyungsoo’s throat, but it felt like they were. He shook his head, dropping Yixing’s wrist, and the bed dipped on the other side of him.

“Baby, breathe. Look at me and breathe.”

Kyungsoo peered at Baekhyun; he was only a little blurry, which was probably better than a bad sign. Baekhyun scooted until they were nose to nose, fingers interlocked between them.

“You’re okay, Kyungsoo. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Kyungsoo nodded, finding it a little easier to come down this time. He was getting angry, though, that he couldn’t just get over this. “I’m okay,” he whispered, and Baekhyun knocked their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry,” Yixing murmured when Kyungsoo gathered himself. “I shouldn’t have—“

“I told you to,” Kyungsoo said. “I didn’t think…”

Yixing squeezed his knee. “It’s going to take time, Soo. Time and patience. And if that doesn’t help, I’ll get you the best fucking therapist in the country. Both of you,” he added, glancing at Baekhyun. “You went through something traumatic. It’s okay to not be okay.”

Kyungsoo could only nod, dissolving into Baekhyun’s arms, unable to pick himself back up even for Junmyeon and Sehun’s last visit before heading back home to continue their work and research. Even when Jongdae wandered back in looking uncertain, taking a seat right in front of him and Baekhyun.

“Bibi thinks we should stay in the mansion instead of a hotel for our last few days here,” Jongdae said, brows furrowed. 

Kyungsoo frowned and hugged Baekhyun’s arms around himself tighter. “Is that a good idea?”

“I...don’t know,” Jongdae said. “Baek? This is...really up to you. We absolutely don’t have to go back there, ever again. Whatever you want.”

“We should go,” Baekhyun answered surprisingly quickly. His voice was small though, a little broken. “I want to pack up some of my things anyway. We can do that and sort out the pack business. I’ll have to pass down my leadership to someone. We’ll just...be quick. I don’t know how long I can stomach that place.”

“We can just get a hotel, Baek,” Jongdae softly said.

Baekhyun shook his head. “We shouldn’t be spending the money when all three of us aren’t working. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

Kyungsoo didn’t miss Yixing’s skeptical look, but he didn’t need to see it to feel it too.

Within five minutes, however, Baekhyun’s mind was fully made up. 

They would leave for the mansion in the morning.


	19. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo and his wolves take the next step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 4.2k

For a moment, everything was still.

They only stood, feet planted firmly on the concrete, staring up at the mansion that seemed just a little less foreboding in daylight. Jongdae held Baekhyun’s hand, and Baekhyun held Kyungsoo’s. Chanyeol, Yixing, and Minseok were a protective wall behind them.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Jongdae murmured.

It took Baekhyun a moment to speak. “Mom says it looks completely different inside.”

“The police confiscated...a lot,” Minseok gently spoke up. “From what I heard, the basement is completely empty now.”

Slowly, Baekhyun nodded. “Not surprised…”

Kyungsoo turned to him, gripping his arm as well as he observed Baekhyun’s faraway expression. He just stared, and stared, unmoving, anxiety emanating from him.

“Baek, you don’t have to do this,” Kyungsoo murmured. “Your mom will understand.”

“I  _ need  _ to do this.” Baekhyun’s eyes slowly trailed to their left, though, almost involuntarily it seemed. Kyungsoo looked, and swallowed. The gate. It looked so different under the sun, just like the mansion. It was open, broken crime scene tape billowing in the wind. Things weren’t so still after all. 

Kyungsoo had to look away when he could swear he saw blood on the grass, and Chanyeol grabbed his free hand from behind, squeezing. Jongdae stood facing them.

“Eyes forward, okay?” he said. “We need to visit that gate even less than we need to go in the house right now.” Kyungsoo nodded, and eventually Baekhyun did too. 

Together, they took a step forward. Then another, slow until they stopped in front of the door. Baekhyun’s mother opened it before they could ring the bell, smiling tentatively at them all. Just past her, Kyungsoo could see a grand foyer, like something out of a 1960s era film, with winding staircases along the side walls. A lot of green. The statue standing between the staircases, at least four times larger than life, however, was all Kyungsoo needed to see to know for a fact this was their worst idea yet.

Baekhyun didn’t seem to see his mother as he stepped into the house, eyes glued to the giant likeness of his father right before him.

Then, Baekhyun broke.

His legs gave out as he frantically shook his head. Kyungsoo and Jongdae just barely caught him, but they had to kneel anyway; Baekhyun wasn’t cooperating. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, rubbing his wrist like it ached. “I can’t—”

No, not  _ just _ like it ached. Like he had been bound.

Chained.

“Baek, come on,” Kyungsoo breathed, voice too shaky to be very convincing. He couldn’t even be sure if Baekhyun was talking to them, or whoever had tortured him in that  _ fucking _ basement. “We can do this later.”

_ “Baekhyun,” _ Jongdae said a little more firmly, the red bleeding into his irises blurred by the threat of tears. “Come back to us, baby. You’re  _ safe. _ We’ve got you.”

“I don’t wanna go in.  _ I don’t wanna go in.” _

Bibi gentled onto her knees, tears freely streaming down her face. She cupped Baekhyun’s face in her hands. “You don’t have to, my darling.” Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut, and just for a moment, Bibi’s face crumpled. “You never have to step foot in this house again, if you don’t want to. I won’t love you any less.” She pressed her lips to his forehead. “You are so strong, but even the strongest people need time to heal. There are only four of us left in the house right now. A pack meeting about leadership can wait. As long as you need. It’s the very least we can do, after everything.”

Baekhyun hugged her, clinging to her shirt.  _ “You were trapped too,” _ he quietly cried into her neck.

Despite Baekhyun drifting away from reality, it was easier getting him back into the car than it had been getting him to the mansion’s front door, which was fine with Kyungsoo. Between the basement and the eerie statue in the foyer, Kyungsoo had zero desire to see anymore of the mansion. He had even less desire to let Baekhyun ever go back. But he knew it wasn’t up to him.

Kyungsoo sent a quick text to Seungsoo letting him know they weren’t staying, since Seungsoo and Mina planned on meeting them that night after being delayed by work. Chanyeol plopped into the passenger seat, next to Jongdae, and Yixing’s head followed him through the window, searching for a sound kiss and quiet goodbye.

Kyungsoo scooted over when Baekhyun climbed into the back with him, looking worse for wear, but a little more present. Kyungsoo opened his arms to him and Baekhyun melted into him, pressing his nose just under Kyungsoo’s ear.

“Let’s go home, love,” Kyungsoo murmured.

Baekhyun sniffled, but nodded against him. “I like the sound of that.”

“Knock knock!”

Kyungsoo stood from his bag only to kneel right back down, opening his arms for the two tiny werewolves lunging for him. He laughed. “Thing one and thing two!” he teased, earning two, identical groans.

“Uncle Soo!” they said, but they still let him hug them tight.

“Pick us up! Pick us up!” Yoori chanted, but Seungsoo and Mina stepped in, laughing as they each grabbed a kid.

“Uncle Soo is still healing, remember, sweetie?” Mina murmured into Yoori’s ear as she effortlessly cradled her.

The twins frowned. “Oh yeah,” they both said.

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo said with a small smile. He gave his brother a half-hug, then Mina. “I’m okay.” He sat down on one end of the couch, gesturing for the kids to come to him. They scrambled, worming their way onto his lap while Seungsoo and Mina took a seat with him.

“Where are Jongdae and Baekhyun?” Seungsoo asked.

“They went to go get food while I unpack. We only just got in, but I think the objective is ‘keep Baekhyun occupied.’ So Jongdae dragged him right back out.”

Seungsoo nodded. “Everyone else?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “Chanyeol, Yixing, and Minseok went to Yixing’s for some much-deserved sleep. Junmyeon and Sehun had to get home a couple of days ago.”

“Ah.” Seungsoo sighed, grasping Mina’s hand. “I have to admit, Soo, I’m awfully glad you guys didn’t stay in that mansion. I didn’t have the best feeling about it when you told me.”

Kyungsoo rested his chin on Yeri’s head when she nuzzled his neck. “None of us did. But Baek kept insisting.” He sighed, too. “I think he felt like he had something to prove. To himself.”

“He wanted to face his trauma head on.”

“I think so. It was just too soon. The way he...I’ve never seen him so broken.”

“He’ll be okay, brother. I think you two, you three, are the strongest people I know.”

Mina nodded her agreement. “I can’t even imagine what you all have been through,” she said. “But we’re here to help however we can.”

“Thanks guys. Really.”

Mina tilted her head. “They’re back.”

Kyungsoo nudged the girls. “Will you say hi to my mates? I bet you could cheer them up.”

“They’re sad?” Yoori pouted up at him.

Seungsoo smiled softly. “They’re just very tired, sweetie. Come on, run and say hi to Uncle Baekhyun and Uncle Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo’s heart clenched at his brother’s words.  _ Uncle Baekhyun and Uncle Jongdae. _ God, now was not the time for anything  _ remotely _ resembling baby fever.

He wasn’t alone though according to Mina much later, who made a point to settle next to him while the others were distracted and murmur in his ear, “I think you might be considering adopting in your future.” Kyungsoo took a large swig of water, flustered. “They both just  _ illuminate _ every time they see you with the girls,” Mina continued. “It’s adorable. You’re more subtle than them, but I still see your heart-eyes, too.”

Kyungsoo had to fight off a chill. It was far too soon to seriously consider something so monumental, but he couldn’t deny what Mina was witnessing. Seeing his wolves with tiny wolves made him all warm and fuzzy. It was new, and it was goddamn terrifying, but in a way it was also refreshing. Refreshingly  _ normal. _ He’d take suddenly wishing he had kids with his boyfriends of less than a year over everything they had just been through.

He’d consider them lucky if their worries now only consisted of things like kids, and what to cook for dinner, and— 

“You guys need a bigger place, you know,” Seungsoo said, quiet so he didn’t disturb the kids sleeping on the couch. Jongdae was setting up his sparsely used room for Seungsoo and Mina.

_ Moving in together. _

“Ah, this is fine,” Kyungsoo said. “And I don’t live here so…”

“You will though, brother. It’s not really a question of  _ will I _ or  _ should I, _ just more like  _ when?” _ He clapped Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “I just think you need something more spacious. It’s a three-bedroom, but with all of you in one room…”

Kyungsoo supposed it was a little cramped, at least when they had guests over. But it didn’t matter, really. He still had a lease with Chanyeol, and things were good the way they were. Or at least, they would be again soon.

It was only a matter of time.

A week passed, then two. Each day was a new emotional struggle, but each day also made it a little easier to function. Jongdae was the first to go back to work, leaving Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to their own devices, mostly. They spent most of their alone time napping, wound together tightly. Their mating marks, at least, healed up completely in record time, leaving fresh, pink scars behind. It did little to soothe the mental wounds Baekhyun’s father had left behind, however. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were both suffering from nightmares, only aided by Jongdae’s calming touches and eventually, Yixing’s herbal assistance.

At the end of that second week, Kyungsoo made some calls to vie for work-from-home assignments. Only one of his usual companies refused to return his calls, but the others offered him work, small pieces to start, seeming to sense he wasn’t quite back on his feet yet. But it was money that he could bring in and to help him not feel so worthless for not contributing totally to his rent with Chanyeol, which Seungsoo assisted him with, and letting Jongdae handle things like groceries.  _ You don’t have to feel bad, _ Jongdae kept insisting, but never addressing the elephant in the room past that. Jongdae and Baekhyun were no longer cut off from their pack fortune. They didn’t  _ need _ to work, Chanyeol reminded him over and over, but Kyungsoo wasn’t sure of his mates’ plans. He figured there was a high chance they didn’t want the money, but an equally high chance Bibi wouldn’t stop until she could “properly” provide for them.

At the end of the third week of The Recovery, Baekhyun began therapy, and slowly picked up his video game streaming again. He didn’t like being alone though, only willing to go live if Kyungsoo would work on his assignments in the room with him, sitting just inside the camera’s frame in the background. Kyungsoo never minded, if only because he was always rewarded in the end with a warm lap full of  _ mate, _ and gentle, sensual kisses.

In the middle of the fourth week, Baekhyun had a revelation.

He looked so much better than he had, his face filling back out, a rosy sheen to his cheeks, a spark back in his eyes. He was smiling more too, a lot less cloudy as he got comfortable in his new/old Alpha skin again. Kyungsoo was fondly thinking of all of this, and of the slow-paced, morning sex they’d enjoyed that morning, when Baekhyun sat up straight on the couch, mouth falling open.

_ “Jongdae!” _

Jongdae nearly dropped his glass of water, just barely saving it. “Jesus,  _ what?” _

“Why haven’t you had your rut?!”

Kyungsoo blinked. Again and again. Huh. That was...supposed to be last week? The week before? Kyungsoo couldn’t remember exactly, but it  _ definitely _ should have passed already. Kyungsoo was floundering, but he still managed to ask, “Can stress  _ delay _ a rut?”

“Um, maybe.” Jongdae idly picked at a napkin on the table, avoiding eye contact. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes, and Jongdae sighed. “I got Dr. Smith to prescribe me rut suppressants,” he muttered. “He agreed it was for the best for now.”

“Why…” The spark in Baekhyun’s eye dimmed right back down. “Why wouldn’t you tell us that?”

“I wasn’t intentionally trying to hide it!” Jongdae said. “You guys were in no place to deal with my rut a week ago. All I cared about was you both healing up.”

“Suppressing ruts can be so bad for your body, though, Dae!” Baekhyun looked like he might cry, so Kyungsoo held his hand. “That’s why we only half-discussed it before I mated with Soo.”

Finally looking at them, Jongdae crouched in front of them on the floor, holding their hands and staring pleadingly up at Baekhyun. “Baby, I talked about it extensively with Dr. Smith. He gave me enough to suppress it for two months, that’s it. He said people take the suppressants anywhere from one to six months all the time with no damage done. You only see negative effects if you try to suppress it for years at a time. It’s just another lie the pack fed us, Baekhyunnie.” He gently tugged at Baekhyun’s human ear. “Dr. Smith agreed that it was best you both have time to properly sort through your emotions and mental state, and to regain your strength. Especially because...Baek, we know now. That we’re—that we have the Bond. We’ve only barely managed to keep from biting each other during our ruts in the past. Now that we know?”

Kyungsoo nodded, combing his fingers through Jongdae’s hair. “You wouldn’t have been able to stop it.”

“Exactly.”

“But I want it,” Baekhyun said. “Dae, all I’ve ever fucking wanted was to mate with you. We can have that now. I  _ need _ it—”

“Honey. Baby. Sweetheart.” Kyungsoo suppressed a smile when Baekhyun couldn’t help but cutely pout against Jongdae’s pet names. “Who do you think I am, huh? Of course I need it just as much, but—” Jongdae hesitantly licked his lips, glancing at Kyungsoo. “I wanted it to be...special. I...I wanna bite you both.” He turned his pleading gaze fully to Kyungsoo. “If that’s okay, Soo. I understand if you don’t want to go through another bite.”

Kyungsoo blanched. “What? Dae, of course I want to mate with you. I didn’t even think that was in question.”

“Okay.” Jongdae melted before them, kissing Kyungsoo’s wrist, then Baekhyun’s. “Good. Right.” He peered at Baekhyun again. “Let’s wait just a little longer, yeah? I just wanna make sure your marks are definitely nice and healed up, on top of everything else.”

Baekhyun nodded, the cloud gone and the spark back, only tentative when he suggested only waiting two more weeks. Kyungsoo thought it was the first real thing they had to look forward to since their world had crashed down around them, and knew things could only go up from there.

“And then there were three…” Jongdae murmured as he closed the door behind their friends, sending them on their merry way after a successful and surprisingly peaceful movie night. He was clearly not yet aware of the slow, honey-like kisses being pressed against Kyungsoo’s neck. Or maybe he was, because Kyungsoo closed his eyes to feel and waited for a reaction, but instead another mouth joined Baekhyun’s. It trailed up the opposite side of Kyungsoo’s neck until it was gently working Kyungsoo’s lips open, and he sighed.

Kyungsoo was wrapped up between them in no time, submissive to their kisses and tongues, dissolving beneath their touches, like the hand beneath his shirt, and the hand fleetingly stroking him through his shorts. Kyungsoo was a puddle, or a leaf in the wind, drifting as he soaked in every drop of affection they shared with him.

“Never leave me again,” he sighed, fingers curling in their hair. “Either of you…” He wasn’t sure he was making sense, but the words were spilling anyway, filling the heady silence that had been building.

“Never, baby,” Baekhyun whispered, tugging Kyungsoo’s shirt aside to ghost his lips along his mating scar. Then, the shirt was gone, and hands were roaming more freely as Kyungsoo moaned, Baekhyun’s hand a little more firm on his crotch.

Kyungsoo dragged Jongdae by the hair to his mouth, biting his lips, panting between them. “Take us tonight, Jongdae. I’m ready. We’re ready.  _ Please.” _

“Soo…”

Baekhyun’s breath skirted down Kyungsoo’s abdomen as his hand pulled Kyungsoo’s cock from his sweatpants. “He’s right, Dae. We’re ready. We need you,” he murmured before taking the head of Kyungsoo’s cock into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it.

Jongdae just barely kept Kyungsoo from bucking up into his mouth. “Fuck.  _ You two,” _ he growled, diving in to kiss Kyungsoo a little more firmly this time. “Bed. Now.”

Kyungsoo’s boxers were still tangled around his ankles by the time Baekhyun had him on the edge, three fingers deep inside him. They were all a little desperate, touches greedy and pleasure heady.

“Are you  _ sure?” _ Jongdae asked for at least the seventh time, once Baekhyun had four fingers and the tip of his thumb worked inside Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo was too busy coming as soon as he touched his own dick to answer, but Jongdae knew what it was anyway. It was the same answer as the first six times he’d asked.

_ Yes, fuck, please fucking knot and bite me. _

When Kyungsoo opened his eyes, it was to only one mouth, Baekhyun’s, skirting along his body, licking up Kyungsoo’s come. And Jongdae. Jongdae was fingering himself with mouth-watering efficiency that had Kyungsoo itching to go again right away. If he could, at least.

He flinched when Baekhyun keenly challenged him, hand skimming along Kyungsoo’s sensitive cock. “Baek,” Kyungsoo lazily whined, eyes still trained on the way Jongdae’s fingers disappeared into himself.

Baekhyun shook his head and kissed Kyungsoo’s chest. “I know how many orgasms you’re capable of, baby,” he murmured in a low voice that stirred Kyungsoo’s cock all on its own. “We need to make you as loose-limbed as possible for this. Just like last time.”

“No,” Kyungsoo said, even though the nodding of his head indicated otherwise. “Only a few, Baek, please.”

Baekhyun straddled his hips, humming as he slipped a couple of fingers into Kyungsoo’s mouth, prodding at his tongue, sinking deeper inch by inch as he dipped down to gentle Kyungsoo’s nipple between his teeth. Kyungsoo moaned around Baekhyun’s fingers, messily lapping at them, suckling like his life depended on it.

Baekhyun dragged his fingers away, tugging Kyungsoo’s lip as he trailed them down his body, gently wrapping around Kyungsoo’s cock. Kyungsoo whined, but Baekhyun shushed him with his tongue.

“Just let me take care of you, hm?” Baekhyun murmured, teeth scraping Kyungsoo’s chin, fingers tightening around his cock. Kyungsoo’s resulting high-pitched moan was embarrassing at best, but it was nothing compared to the way his cock twitched in Baekhyun’s hand the second Baekhyun whispered, “Be good for your Alphas.”

Baekhyun grinned, pressing a pleased chuckle against his neck, and right on cue, Jongdae rejoined them, not hesitating for a second to press his length inside Kyungsoo, drawing a low mewl from deep in Kyungsoo’s chest.

He watched as Jongdae pawed at Baekhyun, quietly begged for Baekhyun to get behind him and fuck him at the same time, urged him. Jongdae fell into the empty space Baekhyun left behind, bracing himself on Kyungsoo’s chest as Baekhyun swiftly entered him, shoving him deeper into Kyungsoo. They each sounded off, a chain of pleased groans.

All three of them were drenched in sweat by the time they came, their releases strategically aimed at Kyungsoo’s torso, only for Baekhyun and Jongdae to spend a particularly long time rubbing it all over Kyungsoo’s skin, then theirs. By the time they licked it off of him and each other, Kyungsoo was so unexpectedly turned on, he was hard again before them.

The next round was easy, Baekhyun lazily rocking into Kyungsoo as they spooned, whiny moans filling the air around them when Jongdae started stretching Baekhyun open so that everyone would be fair game.

Kyungsoo got a turn first, pressing his forehead to Baekhyun’s neck and thrusting quick, shallow, punching soft moans from his mate that satisfied him just as much as his next orgasm did.

By then they’re all lagging, their energy starting to drain despite the passion still flowing freely. They couldn’t get enough of each other, though, and Kyungsoo had the sneaking suspicion in his lustful haze that they wouldn’t, not until they  _ mated. _

“Please,” he gently pleaded, bucking up into Jongdae’s hot, hot mouth. Kyungsoo could hardly keep his eyes open, but satisfaction was an itch he couldn’t scratch. He moaned into Baekhyun’s mouth, his teeth latching onto his top lip. “Please,” Kyungsoo said again. “I won’t— _ fuck, Jongdae _ —I won’t last much longer. I wanna see you. Wanna watch.”

“Hmm?” Baekhyun questioned, trailing kisses down to Kyungsoo’s chest.

“It’s time. Please.”

Baekhyun picked his head up and met Jongdae’s gaze. For a moment, they just stared, so Kyungsoo stared too, waiting, hopeful they would finally give in.

“Yeah,” Jongdae murmured, crawling to Kyungsoo’s side, up Baekhyun’s body. “Yeah, baby, it’s time.”

Kyungsoo could have cried with relief when they wasted no time getting into position next to him, Jongdae sliding inside Baekhyun for the umpteenth time that night. The stakes were so much higher this time though.

Kyungsoo kept gentle hands on them as Jongdae worked up a steady rhythm. The way the two stared at one another, unwavering, was almost unnerving, but Kyungsoo knew it was a lifetime worth of love pouring between their supernatural bond.

“Baek, fuck, Baek, I won’t last—”

“Me neither. It’s okay. Just do it. Please. I’ve literally waited my whole life, Dae.” Baekhyun tugged Jongdae down, closer, sounding on the verge of tears as he murmured, “Need you,” before kissing him deeply.

Jongdae nodded, breath stuttering as the red in his eyes grew brighter. Baekhyun’s quickly followed. Kyungsoo could hear the change as much as he could see it, their eyes, their fangs elongating. The low growls and whimpers, the claws tearing holes in the sheets as Jongdae pistoned his hips harder.

“Just let go,” Kyungsoo whispered.

And they did.

At the same time, they sank their teeth into each other’s shoulders, and Kyungsoo watched in awe. He watched them greedily drink, watched their bodies shudder with a pleasure he remembered greatly. He saw the moment everything snapped, a spiritual release as much as a physical one. Witnessing it knocked the breath out of Kyungsoo. Perhaps it was the moment, or perhaps it was his muted connection to Baekhyun, but Kyungsoo swore he could feel it, a residual buzz of pleasure emanating from their satisfied, relieved bodies and bonds.

Baekhyun and Jongdae stared at each other with bright red eyes, then crashed back together, kissing like it was their first time. Kyungsoo had never seen anything more beautiful.

He was still admiring the beauty when it, they, shifted, not even bothering to tend to their wounds before pouncing. “No time,” Jongdae said before pressing his cock inside Kyungsoo, and  _ oh fuck yes, _ it was already swelling. 

_ “Fucking finally,” _ he moaned, prompting a giggle to buzz against his neck.

“Someone’s definitely developed a kink,” Baekhyun said, drawing Kyungsoo’s mouth to his and kissing him through the stretch.

“Whose fuckin’ fault is that,” Kyungsoo muttered, drastically arching from the bed when Jongdae stroked his cock in tandem with his shallow thrusts. Baekhyun laughed into his mouth, hand smoothing down his chest to keep him from arching again.

They drew Kyungsoo to the very edge, once, twice, thrice, making him writhe uncontrollably until he couldn’t. Baekhyun held him down like it was nothing, and Kyungsoo automatically relaxed, knowing what was coming.

Finally, Jongdae latched his teeth into Kyungsoo’s shoulder, the same one Baekhyun had claimed, but not quite lined up, like they had discussed once or twice. Kyungsoo couldn’t stop his initial shout of pain, because  _ fuck,  _ it burned, but Baekhyun radiated calm and soothed Kyungsoo’s skin everywhere he touched. By the time Kyungsoo felt Jongdae’s fangs sink deeper, he was scratching his nails down Jongdae’s back, moaning around the pleasure pulsing across his entire body.

He watched Baekhyun knick Jongdae’s shoulder, right in the middle of the bite Baekhyun had left, and Kyungsoo quickly attached his mouth to it. Jongdae whimpered and whined, his knot pulsating inside Kyungsoo, right against his prostate. Kyungsoo’s orgasm rippled powerfully through him, eyes rolling back into his head as copper and petrichor flowed freely down his throat and Jongdae pumped him fucking full of come.

“Oh my  _ god,” _ Baekhyun moaned. “You’re both so fucking beautiful.  _ My mates.” _

The  _ second _ Jongdae’s knot went down enough to free him, Baekhyun was in his place, not with a knot, but still, tenderly fucking Kyungsoo like he’d die if he went another second without it.

“I love you,” Baekhyun sighed, lips at Kyungsoo’s fresh bite, taking some blood for himself. It was automatic, then, the way Kyungsoo returned the favor, drinking from the bite Jongdae had left.

So Junmyeon was right. There was something a little addicting about it.

Baekhyun kissed him, cleaning blood from his mouth and then kissing Jongdae without halting his thrusts inside Kyungsoo.  _ “And I love you.” _

Kyungsoo vaguely thought that, probably, no one had ever participated in such a complex mating, vaguely wondered just how unsanitary all of that was, too. But even as he faded, his new mating mark licked and bandaged, he knew he would do it all over again. 

Every single time.


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...and they lived happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length: 1.6k

_ [6 months later] _

“Well, I’d say that’s official,” Bibi said as the final drop of blood hit the paper contract before them. Her voice was a little wobbly, however, and Baekhyun reached across the table with the hand that hadn’t just been cut open for a blood pact.

Wolves.

“Mom,” Baekhyun said. “I’m not going anywhere. Just because I’m passing my leadership down to Jongdeok and Yoona doesn’t mean we aren’t family anymore.”

“Oh, I know that.” Bibi waved a hand dismissively, despite the fact her other one was clinging to Baekhyun’s for dear life. “It’s not like I didn’t know you were cutting ties with the pack, honey. In fact, I would’ve done it sooner, if I’d been in your place.”

Baekhyun had needed to heal, though, Kyungsoo wanted to say. Baekhyun still needed to heal. They all did. In fact, the only reason they were finally having this meeting at all was because Bibi, with Baekhyun’s final say, had decided to sell the pack mansion and move. Baekhyun still couldn’t step foot in there, and now he would never have to again.

He’d decided immediately after taking his father down that his only option was to officially pass his leadership down, and the only viable option was Jongdeok. But because he was an Omega, his Alpha wife became a package deal. The blood pact they just made stated as much, but also that Baekhyun at least kept the authority to check in on them from time to time, to make sure no one was booting up the Traditionalist practices again. Otherwise, Baekhyun’s time and loyalty belonged to his own pack, safe and sound from torturous cultists two hours away.

_ Their _ own pack, their merry band of misfits, their family.

Everyone was slowly trickling closer back home, whispers of house hunting and job transfers, and no blood obligation in sight. Baekhyun had foregone the blood rituals in favor of genuine freedom. They had already been a pack anyway, he’d noted. They didn’t need a ceremony to prove their loyalty to each other.

Unfortunately, the sparse remnants of the Byun-Kim pack had a hard time wrapping their heads around that. Even though Baekhyun had only tentatively extended invitations to his mother and Jongdeok, they had politely declined. They wanted to reform the Byun-Kim pack into something better, but weren’t willing to leave some old-fashioned practices behind.

It had become clear since then, that Baekhyun and Jongdae’s blood families would only ever be that.   
“I’m always a phone call away, Ma,” Baekhyun murmured, rounding the table to hug her. “If you ever need anything.”

“Right back at you, my dear.” Bibi patted his back. “Though I hope you know every time you call I’m going to be hoping it’s your marriage announcement.”

_ “Mom.” _ _  
_ Everyone laughed, and the two hugged tighter until Baekhyun broke away to shake Jongdeok and Yoona’s hands, then their official witness’ hand. He circled around to Kyungsoo, who happened to be  _ his _ official witness, with a cheeky grin, holding out his hand. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes but obliged, trying to fight the flush in his cheeks when Baekhyun kissed his fingers. “Shall we, my love?”

“I guess.”

Baekhyun’s laugh carried them all the way out to the car.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up!”

Kyungsoo scoffed and gently kicked Jongdae’s shin where he was comfortably lounging on the front porch steps.

The front porch steps of their brand new home.

Jongdae caught him by the ankle, tugging him just hard enough to make him lose his footing, and he fell clumsily onto Jongdae’s lap, grunting disapprovingly before melting into his greeting kiss. Baekhyun settled next to them, beaming and wrapping an arm around Jongdae’s waist.

Jongdae pecked his lips as well. “How did the meeting go?” he asked.

“As expected.” Baekhyun sighed. “Your brother says hi.”

“Hi back.”

Baekhyun giggled, nestling his head on Jongdae’s shoulder and fiddling with Kyungsoo’s fingers. “I hate to say it, because it’s my mom, and Jongdeok, but it feels...so good to finally cut ties completely with the pack.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, babe,” Jongdae said. “I’m happy about it, too.”

Smiling, Baekhyun nudged Jongdae until he leaned down for a kiss, or three, humming happily into it. “We better be good, or we’ll scare away our new neighbors,” he muttered playfully, nipping at Jongdae’s lip.

Kyungsoo and Jongdae both scoffed, the latter saying, “Our new neighbors are Chanyeol and Yixing. I think they’re used to us by now.”

Kyungsoo laughed when Chanyeol appeared on the porch next door like clockwork, making a show of peering at them and feigning a look of disgust. It was quickly overtaken by a smile however, and he bounded over to them like the giant puppy he was.

“Hey Yeollie,” all three of them greeted, which almost stopped Chanyeol in his tracks from the force of his preening.

“Hey  _ neighbors.” _ Chanyeol winked and Kyungsoo groaned, failing to dodge when Chanyeol ruffled his hair. “You all done in EvilTown?”

Baekhyun snorted. “Yep. For good.”

“Ahh! I’m so happy for you guys. I know you were bummed about the meeting falling on moving day, but it feels like a true clean slate, doesn’t it?”

Jongdae beamed up at Chanyeol. “Y’know what? Yeol’s right. It’s kinda perfect timing.”

There had been a lot of that in the recent months, starting with Kyungsoo and Chanyeol’s apartment lease ending when they were both on the cusp of deciding to move in with their respective boyfriends; Kyungsoo still floating in a sort of honeymoon stage he wasn’t sure would ever go away, and Chanyeol freshly mated to Yixing. By the time they talked through it, Yixing had already found them a house. Kyungsoo moved in to Baekhyun and Jongdae’s apartment, and then two months later, when their lease was just about up, Chanyeol and Yixing’s neighbor put their house up for sale.

Now, here they were. It couldn’t have possibly worked out better for them in the end.

“What’s everyone’s ETA?” Baekhyun asked, yawning behind his hand.

“Min, Junmyeon, and Sehun are inside,” Jongdae answered. He petted Baekhyun’s hair. “Yixing’s at work till...when, Yeollie? Five?”

“Yep!”

“Okay, and Seungsoo, Mina, and the kids should be here in an hour or so, according to their last update.” Jongdae tapped his chin. “Oh, and the stars of the show, the movers...are late. They were supposed to be here an hour ago. It’s why I’m sitting out here.”

Baekhyun pouted at him. “And here I thought you were just out here to look pretty.”

Jongdae gasped. “You think I’m pretty?”

“The  _ prettiest,” _ Baekhyun insisted, fluttering his eyelashes until he broke down in a fit of giggles, tugging on Jongdae’s collar until he could earnestly press their lips together.

Watching them so happy, so in love, out in the  _ open _ would never, ever get old for Kyungsoo.

They migrated inside eventually, out from under the hot, summer sun, and immediately made a game of  _ how many of us can we fit on the one couch in the house right now? _ It wasn’t many, and they all ended up with bruises, but they were all pink with laughter which felt like a good, first-day-memory to have for their new house.

The movers showed up shortly after, followed by Seungsoo and Mina, and despite the pleasant distraction of Yeri and Yoora running amok, they all worked quickly, each of the couples picking a room to work on and zipping through it—with the exception of Chanyeol and Jongdae, who stuck together to even things out.

By the time dinner rolled around and pizza was on the way, the entire group was wiped, but at least now they had more than one couch to sit on. They were all sprawled around the room, most of them too hot to sit close. Except for Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae, who were content to curl up together on the couch, minutes from dozing off just like that.

Then, Kyungsoo’s phone buzzed in his hand.

**junmyeon:** _ You look so happy, Soo ;-; _

Kyungsoo huffed, looking across the room where Junmyeon was sprawled perpendicular to Sehun, his head just barely touching Sehun’s waist. He grinned softly at Kyungsoo, holding up a finger heart. Kyungsoo chuckled.

**kyungsoo:** _ i’m happier than i’ve ever been _ _  
_ **junmyeon:** _ It shows :’) It doesn’t matter what you guys are doing. All three of you just Glow. _ _  
_ **junmyeon:** _ I’m just happy everything worked out the way it was supposed to _ _  
_ **junmyeon:** _ You deserve the best! ;-;  
_ **kyungsoo:** _ thanks jun ;; _ _  
_ **kyungsoo:** _ i’m really happy to have you and sehun in my life too  
_ **junmyeon:** _ So are we~  
_ **junmyeon:** _ Everyone in this little pack makes me happy. Thanks again for having us, hehe _ _  
_ **kyungsoo:** _ you’re always welcome with us _ __  
**kyungsoo:** _ i wouldn’t have made it through all the bad stuff without you guys _ _  
_ **junmyeon:** __ T_T love you

Kyungsoo glanced up to see if Junmyeon was looking, when he was, Kyungsoo held up a finger heart for him. Junmyeon giggled. When Kyungsoo’s phone buzzed again, he expected it to be another message from Junmyeon, but instead, it was an unknown number.

_ Congratulations, Kyungsoo. _

Kyungsoo blinked at his phone, frowning. He opened his mouth to ask Jongdae and Baekhyun if they knew the phone number, but their front door opened and cut him off. It was Yixing, grinning and holding up two familiar bottles of whiskey and waving them around.

“Drinks on me everyone,” he said.

Kyungsoo laughed. Of course.

_ Thanks, Seulgi, _ he texted back. His phone slipped from his hands automatically when Baekhyun eased onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck. They smiled at each other, noses bumping before their mouths did. Jongdae’s hand squeezed the back of Kyungsoo’s neck and he hummed, Baekhyun’s soft breath sighing between his lips.

Congratulations, indeed, he thought. They had made it. They were free.

Their hearts could finally rest. Right where they belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies if this epilogue makes little sense at the time of posting........i haven't slept in like three days and words are drifting across my screen as a result sdkjsdjg ANYWAY. if you made it this far, pls leave me some kudos n comments to come back to after i sleep for a year ;-;
> 
> love u guys


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